Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has awarded the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group one of the United States military’s highest unit honors following the completion of a historic deployment that lasted more than 320 days at sea.
The strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, returned to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Saturday, May 16, after a record 326-day deployment, the longest operational aircraft carrier mission since the Vietnam War era.
During a ceremony welcoming sailors home, Hegseth announced that the entire carrier strike group had received the Presidential Unit Citation.
Pete Hegseth honors USS Gerald R. Ford strike group with the Presidential Unit Citation
The award is reserved for units demonstrating extraordinary heroism in combat.
“It is my honor to present, from the President of the United States, the Presidential Unit Citation to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Strike Group 12,” Hegseth said during remarks delivered at the port ceremony.
The award places the strike group among a select number of military units recognized for exceptional combat performance.
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Military officials noted that the Presidential Unit Citation is considered the unit equivalent of individual honors such as the Distinguished Flying Cross or the Navy Cross.
The deployment began on June 24, 2025, when the carrier departed Virginia alongside escort destroyers, including the USS Winston Churchill, USS Bainbridge, and USS Mahan.
Initially deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, the strike group was later redirected to the Caribbean as part of a major American naval buildup in the region.
The carrier group subsequently participated in operations tied to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
According to reports aired by Fox News, the strike group later shifted toward the Middle East as tensions escalated between the United States and Iran.
The carrier and its accompanying warships were involved in Operation Epic Fury during the opening stages of the Iran conflict.
Reports indicated that destroyers attached to the strike group launched Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iran while also providing air defense support during the fighting.
Fox News reported that the strike group helped intercept incoming drones and missiles during the two-month conflict.
Fire breaks out
The deployment was not without challenges. In March 2026, a fire broke out aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford while the carrier was operating near the Middle East.
Reports indicated that two sailors were injured in the incident, and hundreds of crew members were temporarily displaced from their sleeping quarters while American forces conducted repairs during a stop in Crete, Greece.
The carrier also reportedly faced ongoing sanitation and maintenance issues during the extended deployment.
Despite those issues, military leaders praised the sailors for completing what became one of the most demanding deployments in modern U.S. naval history.
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Speaking during the homecoming ceremony, Hegseth told sailors they had “made history” through their service.
“You didn’t just accomplish a mission, you made history,” he said while addressing crews aboard the USS Bainbridge.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle also commended the strike group, describing the sailors as “extraordinary” during testimony earlier this week before lawmakers.
The return of the USS Gerald R. Ford slightly reduces the U.S. naval presence amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
However, American forces continue to maintain multiple carrier strike groups in the broader region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George H. W. Bush.
At the height of the conflict earlier this year, the United States reportedly maintained three aircraft carrier strike groups in the region simultaneously — a concentration of naval power not seen since 2003.
Approximately 5,000 sailors assigned to the strike group reunited with their families following the carrier’s arrival back in Norfolk, ending nearly 11 months at sea.
