AP
Aircraft Carrier-Record Deployment
The USS Gerald R. Ford heads toward port at Naval Station Norfolk, as seen from Fort Monroe, Va., on May 16, 2026.
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The USS Gerald R. Ford has returned home to Virginia. The world's largest aircraft carrier is back in port at Naval Station Norfolk after an 11-month deployment. That's the longest since the Vietnam War. The Ford supported the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Nicolás Maduro when he was Venezuela’s president. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand for the arrival Saturday of the warships, which included the destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan.
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