The USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, has returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, after an extraordinary 326-day deployment, which marks a post-Vietnam War record for the longest U.S. aircraft carrier tour.
The vessel, along with elements of Carrier Strike Group 12, initially set sail from Norfolk on June 24, 2025, for what was meant to be a standard seven-month deployment in the U.S. European Command area.
With approximately 4,500 sailors and personnel aboard, the families were eagerly waiting at the pier for reunions. Reports highlight that around 80 children were meeting their fathers for the first time after being born during this extended deployment.
“While I cannot begin to count the number of birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and milestones missed during this deployment, I can say this with absolute certainty: The sacrifice of our families is inseparable from the success of this carrier strike group,” stated Rear Admiral Gavin Duff, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, said after the ship’s arrival.
Attending the homecoming, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the strike group, honoring their extraordinary heroism in combat. “The Ford Carrier Strike Group did an extraordinary job. The only story we can tell today is of the heroism and the skill and the professionalism of these sailors, who went three times around the globe to defend that flag right there,” he remarked.
He concluded with, “You didn’t just accomplish a mission, you made history. You made a nation proud.”
This historic deployment involved engagements across three combatant commands: U.S. European Command, U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Central Command. The journey began in the Mediterranean Sea, participating in NATO exercises, including operations in the Ionian and Adriatic seas, as well as the High North region.
In October 2025, the Ford was redirected to the Caribbean for a naval buildup aimed at counter-drug efforts and regional stability. The strike group took part in operations leading to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
Subsequently, the strike group transited back across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea and, in early 2026, proceeded through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea to support Operation Epic Fury against Iran. This involved joint operations with other carriers, including the USS George W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, marking a significant occasion as the first instance in over two decades that three U.S. carriers operated simultaneously in the Middle East.
In March 2026, a fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry while operating in the Red Sea. Although contained, it impacted berthing compartments and displaced approximately 600 sailors, with three sustaining injuries, one requiring medical evacuation.
The carrier later docked at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Crete for necessary repairs before resuming its mission and ultimately returning via the Atlantic.
“We thought it would be a seven-month deployment. These were missed events from weddings to births,” remarked Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle regarding the record deployment, which surpassed the previous post-Vietnam record of 295 days set by the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2020 on April 15, 2026.
Alongside the carrier, escorting destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan returned home. Additional ships in the group included the USS Mitscher, USS Forrest Sherman, and USS Winston S. Churchill.
