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When the ship finally returned, emotional reunions unfolded along the pier. Families gathered in large numbers, with reports noting that approximately 80 children born during the deployment were able to meet their fathers for the first time—underscoring the personal sacrifices made during the prolonged mission.
Speaking shortly after the ship’s arrival, Rear Admiral Gavin Duff emphasized the human cost behind the record-breaking deployment. He stated, “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,” Rear Admiral Gavin Duff, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, said shortly after the ship’s arrival.
The deployment was formally recognized at the homecoming ceremony, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended and presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the strike group, an honor reserved for extraordinary performance in combat conditions.
“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,” Hegseth said.
He further praised the sailors’ achievements, adding, “You didn’t just accomplish a mission, you made history. You made a nation proud,” the secretary added.
Operationally, the deployment was among the most complex in recent Navy history. The strike group operated across three major geographic commands: U.S. European Command, U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Central Command. Early operations began in the Mediterranean Sea, where the group participated in NATO exercises and conducted missions across the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, as well as operations in the High North.
By October 2025, the carrier was redirected to the Caribbean region as part of a naval surge supporting counter-narcotics efforts and broader regional stability operations. During this phase, the strike group also participated in operations that reportedly contributed to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, marking a highly significant geopolitical moment in the deployment’s timeline.
Following operations in the Western Hemisphere, the carrier strike group transited back across the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean before moving through the Suez Canal in early 2026. From there, it entered the Red Sea to support Operation Epic Fury against Iranian-backed threats within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
During this period, the strike group operated alongside other major carrier formations, including the USS George W. Bush (CVN-77) and the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). This marked the first time in over 20 years that three American aircraft carriers operated simultaneously in the Middle East region, a rare show of naval power and coordination.
In March 2026, the deployment faced an unexpected setback when a fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry areas while operating in the Red Sea. The incident was quickly contained, but it caused damage to nearby berthing compartments and displaced approximately 600 sailors. Three sailors were injured, with one requiring medical evacuation for further treatment.
After the incident, the carrier temporarily docked at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Crete for repairs and maintenance before returning to operational status and eventually beginning its journey back to the United States.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle later reflected on the extended mission, saying, “We thought it would be a seven-month deployment. These were missed events from weddings to births,” Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle said of the record-breaking deployment. The previous post-Vietnam record stood at 295 days, set by the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in 2020, a mark that the USS Gerald Ford ultimately surpassed on April 15, 2026.
Also returning with the carrier were escorting destroyers USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) and USS Mahan (DDG-72). Additional ships in the strike group included the USS Mitscher (DDG-57), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81).
After nearly a year at sea, the return of the strike group marked the end of a historic deployment defined by endurance, global reach, and an unprecedented operational tempo that pushed both sailors and their families to the limit—while setting a new benchmark in modern naval history.
