Until you remember that the thing also carries Marines, and can therefore land troops from the sea, which has always been a huge priority for the Navy, and especially useful if they don't want to keep using sailing crews as infantry.
Don't need an aircraft carrier for Marine transports. Tons of smaller ships that can do the job. It's just a scale thing; crew complement of an aircraft carrier is what, like 6000 people? I guess if you just want giant armored transport and zero flight crew/support, you can trim it down somewhat, but the numbers are just way out of whack. A DDG usually has about 150, so that's
40 DDGs you could have crewed at the expense of sailing a single carrier. Even if you take half the crew away, still 20-1. If the carrier is tougher and better armored (although having subs, destroyers, and air support is a big part of the carrier's defense), 20 DDGs probably still have better force projection than a single carrier.
If you want to load up on marines, fill that LPD that was hanging out in the background, that only usually crews shy of 400 and has tons of room for marines and supplies, medical facilities, etc. Or load up some Expeditionary Fast Transports full of Marines and make it rain, that's just nothing but a giant jetski with room for landing craft and marines with a TINY crew (about 40). It's not a combat vessel itself, but if it's landing after the DDGs clear a path, you're good.
The Wasp class is also nothing but Marines and landing craft, plus plenty of helicopters, which is right up the production crew's alley. LPD is probably the best bet, though, and there was one on-screen, so they've had the same thought (or that's what was available for filming and it looks neat)
Carrier is kinda wasted if you don't have the full flight crew; the aircraft are kinda the point. Probably just got permission to film a battle group in formation, and got what they got, though.
Plus, it's a lot harder to sink a carrier (and it wasn't sunk in this episode) because it's bigger and better armored. Your way just gives the bad guys a whole bunch of thinly armored targets to hunt down and sink, without truly increasing the fleet's overall striking power.
They showed some with some hits up on the bridge area, not sure how many destroyers actually sink from that. it't not GOOD, and out of action, but they didn't show any ships sinking. Most were tied up at the pier anyway, so doubt they were in deep enough water to sink much anyway. Nathan James didn't want to get sunk in the harbor (per the dialog), but that was the extent of it. Looked like fairly small aircraft missiles anyway, I'd have expected that they would need to do more damage near the waterline (torpedoes) or be dropping some heavy bombs directly on them to really kill them. Not an expert on what it takes to sink a destroyer, but what they showed seemed on the light side. Again, out of the battle for sure, but sunk? Dunno.
