Cooking for an Aircraft Carrier: ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, in the Arabian Sea — Feeding the 5,500 sailors and Marines aboard an aircraft carrier is a tall order. It means almost 18,000 meals every day: More than 4,000 hamburgers, thousands of eggs and tons of pancakes hit the grill daily. Six dining facilities on the USS Theodore Roosevelt keep things simmering for its crew, who can grab something to eat nearly any time of the day. It’s a tough job, many sailors said, but as long as there are hungry mouths to feed, they’ll keep showing up to work.