The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier completed a 326-day deployment from June 24, 2025, to May 16, 2026, marking the longest deployment of a U.S. Navy carrier since the Vietnam War [1, 2, 3, 4]. The mission began with peacetime operations including scheduled port calls in the Mediterranean and North Sea. In October 2025, while docked in Split, Croatia, orders redirected the ship to the Caribbean for operational duties amid rising geopolitical tensions [1, 4].

In January 2026, the carrier supported a U.S. commando raid in the Caribbean that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a high-profile military operation [1, 2, 3]. The deployment extended again in February when the USS Gerald R. Ford moved to the Middle East to prepare for potential conflict with Iran [1, 2, 3].

The aircraft carrier operated with Carrier Air Wing 8 logging more than 11,800 aircraft launches and over 5,500 flight hours, primarily supporting Middle East missions [4]. The Carrier Strike Group collaborated with more than 15 allied navies across multiple oceans and theaters during the deployment [4].

Approximately 4,500 sailors served aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford at full strength, sustaining intensive operations over the extended period [1]. The deployment ran well beyond the typical six-to-eight-month assignments, straining both crew and ship systems. The carrier faced several challenges including a major fire in the laundry room in March that injured two sailors and destroyed about 100 beds, ongoing mechanical problems with aircraft launch and recovery gear, food shortages, mail delays, and sanitation issues [1, 2].

Mrs. Erica Feiste, a naval spouse, commented on conditions aboard: "I think the communications were actually better than I expected for the most part. The length and the conditions were worse than I expected" [1]. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle praised the crew, saying, "We’re going to give our heroes a welcome back on Saturday. And it’s just an extraordinary ship, extraordinary crew, an extraordinary strike group, and the sailors I couldn’t be more proud of" [4].

The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on May 16, 2026, concluding the historic deployment [1, 2, 3, 4].