Aborted Ship Missions and Female Crew Abortion Election

What's wrong with that implausible story? Plenty. First, as Armchair Admiral noted:

... if a [U.S.] CVN ever turns around 2 days out of port because a refrigerator might break during a deployment, I'll be inking a full 3000 words of sharp sarcasm.

But, wait, there's more!

Why turn around when replacement parts, reefer mechanics, and frozen provisions could all be landed right on (or flown right off) the aircraft carrier's deck, if necessary?

Probable answer: HMS Illustrious probably has an underperforming reefer, but that became a convenient cover story to disguise the real issue. Now, there has been another delay attributed to the reefer. (If this were a submarine, it would be unlikely for the public to learn of a delay, or a true underlying reason. Only those in the CoC, those with direct knowledge or some with need to know would. My guess is there will be a last minute change in flagship personnel for its upcoming diplomatic mission. No matter, all this is only background to a related U.S. story. Since CVNs have scheduled flights, Armchair Admiral can rest his inking pen, but that may not be the case for every naval ship at sea:

A model of the expected occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes aboard U.S. Navy ships

In October 1994, the USS Eisenhower (CVN 69) became the first U.S. combatant ship to have women assigned as permanent crew members. ... Before 1972, women were involuntarily separated from the Navy if they became pregnant. During 1973 through mid-1975, some pregnant women were allowed to remain in the Navy and others were discharged. Since 1975, Navy women who become pregnant have been allowed to remain in naval service.' ... The population used to determine pregnancy rates in this NHRC study was the 6,166 women assigned aboard the 53 Navy ships having women crew members who participated in the study. [75% of women serving aboard Navy ships] ... Rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes were calculated based on responses to the Women Aboard Ship Study from women who reported a history of pregnancy conceived while assigned aboard a Navy ship. ... There were 778 pregnancies among 6,166 women crew members aboard 53 ships ... The highest pregnancy rate was aboard submarine tenders (27 per 100 woman-years), and the lowest rate was aboard amphibious assault ships (0 per 100 woman-years). ... reported outcomes included normal pregnancies, elective abortions, ectopic pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, and stillbirths, regardless of whether they resulted in hospitalization.

So what, you say? Well today, we have another story WASHINGTON (AFP) —

A US appeals court has ruled that women inmates in the midwestern state of Missouri must be given access to transportation when seeking to terminate a pregnancy off prison grounds. [emphasis mine]

Females are simply flown off CVNs when pregnancy requires, nevermind elective abortions. JAGs must now be astir wondering about the females on ships without landing pads. Is this the next legal issue looming in the Navy after the dolphin vs. sonar? Stay tuned.