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USS Gerald R. Ford returns to Norfolk after 326‑day deployment

newsMay 16, 20261680

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States' largest aircraft carrier, docked at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, bringing roughly 4,500 sailors home. The carrier strike group supported military operations tied to Iran and Venezuela and operated in the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the Red Sea while making multiple transatlantic crossings. At 326 days, this was the longest continuous U.S. carrier deployment since the Vietnam War, a milestone that highlights strain on personnel and shifting U.S. naval commitments abroad.

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