NORFOLK, Va. — The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, returned home to Virginia on Saturday after an 11-month deployment that saw historic combat operations and emotional reunions for thousands of sailors and their families.
The Ford's 326 days at sea marked the longest deployment for an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War, breaking records dating back more than 50 years. About 5,000 sailors aboard the Ford and two accompanying destroyers docked at Naval Station Norfolk, where families waited to reunite with loved ones they hadn't seen since June.
For sailor Omar Mora, the homecoming meant meeting his son Santiago for the first time.
The 5-month-old was born on day 201 of Mora's deployment, making Saturday their first meeting in person.
"No other feeling in the world I can compare it to. It's a first time for everything," Mora said. "I wish I did get to meet him when he was first born, but I wouldn't change it for the world. He's my little dude."
The deployment tested both service members and their families. Santiago's mother described the emotional toll of Mora missing the birth.
"It's emotional, you know, he watched him grow up on FaceTime for the first four months," she said. "Him not being there for the birth is kind of very heartbreaking to have him miss his, especially his first child's birth."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was present for the arrival of the warships, which included the destroyer USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan.
He commended the crews for their historic service.
"You didn't just accomplish a mission, you made history," Hegseth told sailors on the Bainbridge's deck. "You made a nation proud."
The Ford's deployment surpassed all post-Vietnam War records, according to U.S. Naval Institute News.
The only longer deployments were the USS Midway's 332 days in 1973 and the USS Coral Sea's 329 days in 1965.
The carrier's extended mission began in the Mediterranean Sea before being rerouted to the Caribbean Sea in October as part of the largest naval buildup in the region in generations. The Ford participated in January's military operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, then headed to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.
The ship saw combat action during the opening days of the Iran war from the Mediterranean Sea before transiting through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea in early March.
In recognition of their service during the Iran conflict, the Ford and accompanying ships received the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award a unit can receive, for "outstanding performance in action" against "a determined enemy."
The deployment wasn't without challenges. A noncombat-related fire in one of the carrier's laundry spaces left hundreds of sailors without sleeping quarters and forced lengthy repairs while docked at the Greek island of Crete.
The Ford's extended time at sea has raised questions about the impact of prolonged deployments on service members and their families, as well as increased strain on ships and equipment beyond normal operations.
WTKR and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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