NORFOLK, Va. — This morning, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the newest commissioned aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, arrived at Pier 11 after being away for 326 days. This marks one of the longest deployments for a...
NORFOLK, Va. — This morning, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the newest commissioned aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, arrived at Pier 11 after being away for 326 days. This marks one of the longest deployments for a U.S. warship since the Vietnam War. Families lined the pier to welcome their loved ones home. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was present to honor the entire strike group with a Presidential Unit Citation, making it the first such award from the Iran War, a commendation that the Navy rarely issues.
Rear Adm. Gavin Duff, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, shared with the audience that 80 sailors were holding their newborns for the very first time today. This alone highlights the sacrifices made by the families during this extended deployment. It's essential to honor them, but we also need to ask tough questions: Why are deployments lengthening? Why can’t we build a larger fleet to support these missions?
The Mission Was Real. So Was the Combat.
The mission to engage in combat operations over Iran has faced its share of controversy. However, ships like the Bainbridge, Mahan, Mitscher, Forrest Sherman, and Winston S. Churchill earned their recognition through significant contributions. According to Stars and Stripes, Carrier Air Wing 8 accomplished over 11,800 launches and recoveries. Between February 28 and May 1, the strike group executed more than 1,700 sorties as part of Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, while facing persistent threats from enemy missiles and attack drones.
Before this, the crew also led Task Force Southern Spear in the Caribbean and supported operations during a special raid in January, which captured Nicolás Maduro and his spouse in Caracas. They then crossed the Atlantic to relieve pressure on other strike groups in the Red Sea.
This was not a typical deployment; it was the busiest carrier deployment in recent memory. The Presidential Unit Citation was well-deserved. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao signed the citation, and Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, acknowledged on the pier today what everyone already knew: “We thought it would be a seven-month deployment.” It turned out to be much longer.
The Background Story Is Hull Count
The deployment, originally planned for seven months, extended to eleven because there were no other ships ready to deploy.
The Navy currently has around 295 battle-force ships against a growing PLA Navy, which now numbers over 370. Out of the 11 carriers available, only a few can be deployed at any given time; the rest are undergoing maintenance or repairs that rarely finish on schedule. When three carriers were sent to CENTCOM for the first time in two decades, the Ford was left alone because no replacements were prepared.
This situation highlights the ongoing shipbuilding crisis in the Navy. The Navy can only maintain its presence with the ships that Congress has funded according to the shipyards' capacity. Unfortunately, public repair yards are facing critical shortages of skilled workers. HII Newport News, the only shipyard capable of building Ford-class carriers, has been working on the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) for 17 years. The production of Virginia-class submarines is lagging at about 1.2 boats per year, falling short of the needed 2.0.
The Laundry Room
To be honest, the Ford’s journey had its challenges. During part of her deployment, the carrier had to dock at Souda Bay due to a fire in the laundry facility in March. This incident injured three sailors, one of whom was medevaced, and forced 600 personnel to evacuate their berthing spaces, with several compartments damaged. There were also issues with overflowing toilets and flooding in various areas during the cruise.
The intention is for the Ford-class to project American airpower for the next 50 years. Future ships like the Kennedy, Enterprise (CVN-80), and Doris Miller (CVN-81) are on the way, but even top-of-the-line vessels face problems when pushed beyond their designed operational limits.
The Crew Did Everything Right
Alexis Burgess from Hampton shared with a reporter from Stars and Stripes this morning that it felt surreal, as she feared her sailor would face another extension. Her concerns were justified, as the system sending sailors to sea has been marked by numerous extensions, problematic maintenance cycles, and delayed ship replacements.
Despite the challenges in Navy shipbuilding and the controversial war in Iran, the Ford Carrier Strike Group accomplished what was asked of them and earned the highest unit honor the U.S. awards. The thousands of sailors involved, not just on the Ford, but also on escort ships and support vessels, deserve the appreciation of the nation, regardless of individual opinions on the war or politics.
Welcome home.