US aircraft carrier returns after 11-month Iran war, Venezuela deployment

Extended deployment concludes at Norfolk

The USS Gerald R. Ford Strike Group arrived at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Saturday following an 11-month deployment that exceeded the standard seven-month carrier rotation typical for US naval vessels. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined family members gathered on the pier to welcome approximately 4,500 sailors home after more than 320 days at sea, according to a Pentagon statement. The guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan accompanied the carrier on its return to the Atlantic coast base.

Operations spanned Middle East, Caribbean

The deployment encompassed sustained combat operations against Iran and a sensitive mission in the Caribbean connected to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with aircraft launched from the Ford's deck participating in strike operations during the war and providing support for the operation that resulted in Maduro's apprehension. Hegseth, speaking aboard the USS Bainbridge, told the crew they had initially expected to operate in the Mediterranean and Europe before receiving new orders that redirected them to the Caribbean. “You thought that was your mission,” he said, noting they had subsequently helped ensure foreign terrorist organizations and drug trafficking networks were “put on notice” through their maritime presence.

Pentagon chief praises 'absolute resolve'

Hegseth credited the sailors with ensuring “a dictator was put on notice and brought to justice,” referring specifically to Maduro, and demonstrating what was possible “with absolute resolve” in defending American interests. He added that when called upon again, the carrier sailed to the Middle East to participate in Operation Epic Fury against Iranian military targets. The secretary stated that the crew had shown the world the capabilities of American naval power through sustained combat operations across two separate theaters, maintaining readiness through nearly a year of continuous deployment.