NORFOLK, Va. – Crew members aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier reunited with their families on Saturday, May 16, as the warship returned to Norfolk, Virginia, following a record-setting 326-day deployment.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand at the port to welcome sailors home after the carrier arrived alongside the USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan.
The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Norfolk, Virginia, on May 16 after completing a record-breaking 326-day deployment. (Credit: US Department of Defense via Storyful)
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What they’re saying:
“It is my honor to present, from the President of the United States: the Presidential Unit Citation to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group,” Hegseth said. “Congratulations, Godspeed, and welcome home.”
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Dig deeper:
Over the course of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s 11-month deployment, the carrier supported several major US military operations, including missions tied to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and the conflict in Iran.
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