🇺🇸⚡️- After a 326-day deployment, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) Aircraft Carrier, along with its strike group, has finally returned home to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Over 4,500 Sailors took part in the 11-month deployment across the carrier group, consisting of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), along with five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers who took turns escorting her around the world: the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81), USS Mitscher (DDG-57), USS Mahan (DDG-72), USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98).

The 326-day deployment would put their journey at the 3rd longest national tasking deployment by a US aircraft carrier, being just 6 days short of the all-time record.

While it may not be the longest deployment, it was definitely a memorable one for our channel. The USS Gerald R Ford and its friends gave us many exciting stories, all of which we had the privilege of sharing with you, our viewers ❤️. So we have compiled a list with annotations to our posts and memorable media to revisit their journey and a very eventful 11-months we have enjoyed (or you didn't enjoy, depending on where you're from 🙂) together.

- On the 24th of June, 2025, the Carrier group departed Naval Station Norfolk to start their deployment, and made way towards Europe, making their first Atlantic crossing of the deployment.

- First, they took part in the NATO exercise, Neptune Strike, in September alongside 32 other nations, in the air, land, and sea.

- Shortly after the exercises finished, Ford transited to the Mediterranean sea to operate alongside other allies. Ford was then quickly rushed back across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea to help enforce the US blockade on Venezuela, which began on the 10th of December 2025, to capture and seize sanctioned Tankers attempting to transport stolen American oil.

- Ford also took part in the Raid [2] [3] and Capture of then Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, on January 3rd 2026. Operating its own air wings in support of the operation, as well as a staging and launching platform for US Special Operations for the raid.

- Ford stayed in the region after the capture and continued to enforce the US blockade on Venezuela, operating as a staging base and launch platform for boarding parties. In total, 9 vessels were seized by the United States in this blockade, 5 accredited to the Ford and its crew. [1] [2]

- After returning the stolen oil to its rightful owner, on February 16th, Ford would make its third crossing of the Atlantic, making way to CENTCOM as part of the buildup of forces for Operation Epic Fury, and would arrive around the 24th of February.

- On February 28, the USS Gerald R Ford would partake in the opening round of strikes on Tehran, Iran [2] [3] that we would later learn, killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

- On March 12th, after crossing the Suez Canal while operating as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Ford would suffer a laundry room fire while transiting the Red Sea towards the Indian Ocean, forcing them to divert back to Souda Bay, Greece, for Repairs.

- After a 5-day repair stop in Greece, Ford would transit the Suez Canal again and loiter in the Red Sea for approximately 2 weeks, before being relieved of its Duty by the fresh USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), and finally starting its journey back home on the 30th of April.

- On May 16th, after making a 4th Suez Canal transit, 6th Gibraltar Strait Crossing, and a fourth Atlantic crossing, the USS Gerald R. Ford would finally return home to Virginia.