The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will soon return to the United States to conclude a nearly yearlong deployment, a U.S. official familiar with the matter told The Epoch Times.
The Ford is one of three U.S. aircraft carriers currently deployed to the waterways of the Middle East. The carrier supported recent strikes on Iran and has positioned itself at the north end of the Red Sea amid an ongoing ceasefire.
Having departed from their home port in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 24, 2025, the approximately 4,000 sailors embarked on the Ford are currently serving on the longest post-Vietnam War carrier deployment. As of April 29, the crew of the Ford has been away from home for 309 days….