USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group returns to US after historic 11-month deployment

America's aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships returned to Virginia on Saturday morning, concluding a historic 11-month deployment.

Nearly 4,500 Sailors aboard the flagship arrived at Naval Station Norfolk after spending 326 days at sea. 

The voyage marks the longest operational deployment for any US aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War, with the final and most intensive phase of the mission spent reinforcing US Central Command in the volatile waters of the Middle East.

Originally departing Virginia on June 24, 2025, for a routine rotation to Europe, changing global dynamics repeatedly shifted the strike group's mission across the globe before it was ultimately dispatched to the Middle East. 

Before heading to the Middle East, the warships first participated in NATO exercises across the Mediterranean and Arctic before the Pentagon redirected them to US Southern Command in the Caribbean. Once there, the strike group led a major counter-narcotics campaign called Operation Southern Spear, followed by Operation Absolute Resolve in January 2026, which culminated in the high-profile capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Following the mission in South America, the strike group integrated into Operation Epic Fury alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln, the Gerald R. Ford Strike Group engaged in extensive combat operations aimed at neutralizing Iranian maritime threats and maintaining open sea lanes.

During the pier-side ceremony, US Secretary of War Hegseth presented Carrier Strike Group 12 with the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest collective honor a military unit can receive.