USS Gerald Ford Returns to Norfolk After Record 326-Day Deployment

Overview

• The carrier, which returned Saturday to its homeport in Norfolk, was greeted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the Pentagon confirmed the cruise set a post‑Vietnam record at 326 days.
• President Trump redirected the ship toward the Middle East in mid‑February before the Iran war started, placing the strike group in operations linked to that conflict.
• The Defense Department released a glossy arrival video that media analysts described as a deliberate communications push designed to go viral.
• During the deployment, the ship stopped in Croatia for maintenance after a fire in the main laundry injured two sailors, and U.S. press reported clogged plumbing and long restroom lines onboard.
• Before the Middle East mission, outlets reported Caribbean actions that included strikes on suspected drug boats and seizures of sanctioned tankers, with the alleged capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro described as a reported claim.