The USS Gerald R. Ford departed the Mediterranean Sea on May 6, 2026, transiting the Strait of Gibraltar toward its home port in Norfolk, Virginia. This marked the conclusion of a historic 317-day deployment. Notably, it was the longest post-Vietnam War US carrier tour.
Accompanied by destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill and USS Mahan and Carrier Air Wing 8, the Ford operated across the Eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Caribbean. The strike group supported Middle East operations, briefly joining USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln for the first three-carrier presence in the region in over 20 years.
During deployment, a March 12 fire in the main laundry area injured three sailors and displaced roughly 600, forcing emergency repairs at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete. This incident required a port call in Croatia. The carrier subsequently returned to the Middle East for its final operational phase before heading home.
The Ford broke the post-Vietnam record previously held by USS Saratoga at 308 days. However, only USS Coral Sea (329 days) and USS Midway (332 days) have exceeded its current length.
The carrier’s return coincides with renewed US-Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks on US destroyers prompted retaliatory strikes on May 7–8. Additionally, officials suggest the rotation signals a slight de-escalation while maintaining strategic naval assets in the Middle East.
While the USS Ford returns for maintenance and crew rest, the US continues to operate strike groups in the region. This includes maintaining a fragile ceasefire and regional deterrence amid ongoing negotiations and Iranian asymmetric threats.
