What are the USS Gerald R. Ford's marching orders

The USS Gerald R. Ford and her battle group has been ordered to the eastern Med. I'm wondering what the battle group commander's marching orders are. With a carrier air wing of over 80 combat aircraft plus five escorting destroyers, and, I suspect, at least one submarine the commander has a huge arsenal and a wide array of options.
I can think of a few options:
1. participate/coordinate with IDF in attacking Hamas sites
2. Cut holes in the ocean with the threat of #1
3. Stage a combat extraction of civilians from Israel.
4. act as a staging base/support for Special Operations

Thoughts

 

Last night the news speculated there are hostage rescue teams on board or they will be on board soon.

 

Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel likely insures ford sees action

 

I think it's merely symbolic. The proverbial wag to Iran, but I do think there is probably some Seal teams on board to possible extractions and provide additional intelligence to the IDF.

 

What are the USS Gerald R. Ford's marching orders
"Avoid being sunk"

 

Flank security, establish air superiority over Israel, so the Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians, Egyptians and Jordanians don't try to send combat support to the terrorists.

 

Is Chuck Norris on board?

 

Mostly symbolic, I think.

 

Hostage rescue (if needed) and (primarily) intelligence.

 

Possibly a force multiplier, invisible or otherwise, i.e., if a war breaks out between Israel and Iran. But more likely a show of force. One thing for sure. The price of oil is going up. How far and how fast remains to be seen. Israel aircraft attacking Iran would have to overfly oil producing countries who may have concerns. Now might be a could time for the US to ramp up domestic drilling to war time levels. And by that I mean as if we were in a war.

 

Or maybe this guy.

 

Egypt? lol They are now and have been for some time sucking on the US taxpayer teat, second only to Israel in receipt of military assistance dollars. I guess this is the legacy of the Camp David agreement or some such. Egypt is going to do nothing other than keep cashing the welfare check.

 

The Ford is most likely there to keep Netanyahu from destroying Hamas. A threat from the appeaser Biden.

 

1. Logistics and intelligence, although Israel's should be better. Additional back up against any thoughts Iran might have about putting some aircraft on the scene.

2. Absolutely and keep and Russia forces at bay.

3. Yep

4. Yep.

 

More likely, they are a deterrent in force to prevent any nations or groups from joining the fray. They might have special ops on board in case American and other hostages need rescuing if the situation becomes necessary. And they will provide drone and electronic intelligence in the area and possibly share them with Israeli intelligence. Rules of engagement will be very tight in this case.

 

Good points.

 

Hopefully not to end up like the USS Liberty

 

Your answer is basically the correct one. In order to get Israel and Egypt to agree to the Camp David peace, the U.S. agreed to become Egypts main supplier of weapons and Israels main economic aide supplier.

 

You people love to whine about the SS Liberty. Why is that?

 

Wait.
I understood that without a house speaker and so many military promotions blocked by those pesky republicans America was paralyzed during this crisis.

Guess someone forgot to tell the force commander.

 

Guess someone forgot to tell the force commander.[/QUOTE]
Huh? He/she was probably promoted last year or the year before.

 

History has not been kind to the "biggest ever" ships.

 

We did not become Egypt's main supplier of weapons until after the First Gulf War. The Camp David Accords was signed in 1979 during the Carter Administration. We became Istaels main supplier after France left in the 1950s and before the Six-Day War.

 

Huh? He/she was probably promoted last year or the year before.[/QUOTE]
Well, but one does not simply decide on one's own to sail the biggest aircraft carrier and an entire task force into harms way, does one? One must have marching orders, as it were.
You know, like Go to this place and break these things and kill these people kind of thing.
Not a decision even an Admiral can make on their own.
Someone in civilian leadership has to tell them what to do.

 

In all honesty... The US should be sending the USS Mercy to the Gaza coast. An Aircraft carrier actually serves no purpose IMHO. Helping the people of Gaza that need medical attention would be a vastly better olive branch than showing a position of power to a people used as canon fodder.