USS Gerald R. Ford nears longest carrier deployment since Vietnam War

Sailors who have been aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford over the last nine months are mere days away from breaking the record for the longest deployment in the United States' post-Cold War era.

Wednesday, April 15 will mark 295 days since the USS Gerald R. Ford, or CVN-78, first left Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for a regularly-scheduled deployment with nearly 4,500 sailors aboard. The carrier has since been ordered to Iran as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to pressure Iranian leaders into reaching a nuclear peace agreement.

Past aircraft carrier deployments that have stretched into the nine-month mark include the USS Midway, which spent nearly 11 months deployed in the early 1970s, and the USS Abraham Lincoln, which spent nearly 10 months at sea between April 2019 and January 2020.

There’s also the USS Nimitz, which was deployed for nearly 11 months between spring 2020 and spring 2021, amid a 27-day ship-wide quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

'It's a challenging time,' Chief of Naval Operations said in late March

When reached by email on Tuesday, April 14, the U.S. Navy referred USA TODAY to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s statements while speaking to the nonprofit research organization the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

During the event, Chief Executive Officer of the United States Naval Institute asked Caudle about U.S. military actions against Iran and Venezuela. He asked if Caudle is concerned about U.S. readiness when the country is already deploying so many assets, including people.

"Yes, I'm concerned," Caudle said. "We've shot a lot of munitions … You're going to see a record-breaking deployment by Ford. They will probably go into the 11th month of deployed operations. For those that are not in the Navy, that's an extraordinary thing to even think about."

He commended the sailors aboard the carrier for how they handled a recent fire in the laundry area, and regrouping.

"It's a challenging time for that, but we're built for that," Caudle said. "This is what we do for a living, so there's a bit of a backhanded compliment in there…that sailors that are doing this, it’s what they signed up for."

Trump sends USS Gerald R. Ford to Iran as 'additional power'

When the USS Gerald R. Ford first deployed from Virginia in June 2025, the U.S. Second Fleet said the carrier was leaving “as an integrated naval force in support of economic prosperity, national security, and national defense.”

In mid-February, Trump sent the USS Gerald R. Ford to Iran as part of the U.S.' attempt to pressure the country to reach a new nuclear peace agreement.

"Tremendous power has arrived," the president said while speaking to the press on Feb. 13 at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. "Additional power … another carrier is going out shortly."

When asked that day about Iran’s nuclear sites being "obliterated" and what the U.S. is after in sending more power to Iran, Trump said that's really the "least of the mission," adding that "We'd probably grab whatever's left."

More on the USS Gerald R. Ford, other record-setting aircraft carriers

Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia delivered the USS Gerald R. Ford to the U.S. Navy on May 31, 2017. Trump commissioned the aircraft carrier nearly two months later.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is named after the 38th president of the United States, who previously served in the U.S. Navy. Ford served during World War II, ranking lieutenant commander. He was president from 1974 to 1977.

The USS Gerald R. Ford measures 1,092 feet long and has a beam measuring 134 feet. Its flight deck measures just over 255 feet, and the aircraft carrier can travel more than 34½ miles per hour.

If the USS Gerald R. Ford surpasses the 295-day deployment mark on Wednesday, April 15, the aircraft carrier will be up against the:

• USS Abraham Lincoln – 294 days (295 days when counting the day the ship returned)
• USS Midway – 332 days
• USS Nimitz – 341 days (including a 27-day ship-wide COVID-19 quarantine)

In February 2026, more than eight months into deployment, the Navy said sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford showed "resilience, professionalism, and sustained morale while serving far from home."

The Navy also addressed complaints of shipboard systems and sanitation issues aboard the aircraft carrier. According to Navy officials, the Ford’s systems "are operating within expected parameters for a Ford-class aircraft carrier with more than 4,000 personnel embarked."

"On a ship this size, with this many Sailors, clogs will occur," Capt. David Skarosi, commanding officer of USS Gerald R. Ford, said in the news release. 

He added, "Our maintenance teams respond immediately, and the system continues to function as designed with no impact to operational readiness or our ability to meet our mission."

This story has been updated with information.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at[email protected].