USS Gerald R. Ford Sets Post-Vietnam Record at 295 Days

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy's largest and newest aircraft carrier, has set a post-Vietnam War record for the longest deployment, reaching 295 days at sea as of mid-April 2026. The nuclear-powered vessel, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and over 75 aircraft, departed its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 24, 2025, for what began as a routine mission to the Mediterranean Sea.

The carrier's journey quickly evolved amid escalating global tensions. In October 2025, it was redirected to the Caribbean Sea as part of a major naval buildup in the region, where it supported operations leading to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. By February 2026, the Ford was ordered to the Middle East, entering the fray of the ongoing conflict with Iran through Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israel campaign. It participated in the war's opening phases from the Mediterranean before transiting the Suez Canal into the Red Sea in early March.

Operational challenges soon arose. On March 12, a fire broke out in the ship's main laundry areas, injuring three sailors with non-life-threatening wounds and displacing about 600 personnel from their berthing...