Mac makes a comment about the age of a 1st class petty officer being rather young. It's fairly easy to make 3rd class in 1 to 1-1/2 years and 2nd class a year later. It then takes 3 years in grade before making 1st class. Thus, a person going in at the age of 18 can make 1st class by the time they are 23 or 24 years old.
Signs and hats have CVN-78. This is the new USS Gerald Ford which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016.