MAY 16, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was on hand with his wife, Jennifer, and numerous senior Navy leaders at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, today to welcome home sailors assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group after a record-setting, multi-month deployment.
The strike group returned to Norfolk after a 326-day deployment, the longest U.S. aircraft carrier deployment since the Vietnam War, surpassing the previous post-Vietnam mark set by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln’s roughly 295-day deployment in 2020.
“Extraordinary sailors and crew of Strike Group 12: for nearly a year you have held the line for our nation. Your voyage took you to places never expected,” Hegseth told the Ford’s crew while greeting them over the ship’s public address system.
He then recounted how the strike group set off on a routine deployment to the European theater in June 2025, only to be diverted to the Caribbean Sea shortly thereafter in support of the narco-terrorist drug interdiction mission Operation Southern Spear, as well as the operation that led to the Jan. 3 capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Hegseth then pointed out that, following operations around Central and South America, the Ford Strike Group deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury, where the group was joined by the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan — both of which also returned to Norfolk as part of the Ford’s record-setting deployment, and both of which Hegseth also welcomed home this morning.
“You showed resiliency; you fought through all the way to finish the latter part of your mission in Operation Epic Fury … where you and others [sent] an unmistakable message to the world: no one can match the USS Ford, and no one can match the United States military,” Hegseth told the crew.
Hegseth then surprised the Ford crew — and the crews of USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan shortly thereafter — by announcing that Carrier Strike Group 12 had been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the group’s actions during their deployment.
Originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, the PUC is the highest collective award a military unit can receive in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is awarded to units for extraordinary heroism in combat against an armed enemy, recognizing gallantry of a degree that would typically merit an individual Distinguished Service Cross or Navy/Air Force Cross.
“We do not hand this award out simply for performing your duties. It is earned through extraordinary heroism. It signifies that, in the crucible of combat during Operation Epic Fury, Strike Group 12 unleashed lethality and violence of action that [neutralized enemies] and secured a mission of vital national importance,” Hegseth told Ford’s crew.
“To wear this ribbon is to tell the world that everyone in this formation fought with an indomitable spirit. You operate with grit and defiance that sets you apart. By your conduct, you have secured a current place in the hallowed lineage of our naval history,” Hegseth said.
Throughout the morning, the appreciation that Hegseth and his delegation showed for the returning strike group sailors was complemented by some of those young men and women’s own reflections on their past 11 months at sea.
“[The deployment] was an interesting experience; a very unique experience that I don’t think I would really be able to live again. So, I’m very honored to [have been] on this deployment,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Connor Mosser, of USS Bainbridge’s combat systems department.
“I’m proud of how much that I’ve grown. It was an honor to serve on this deployment. I got to grow as an individual, and I got to serve my country,” said Fireman Apprentice Kayla Jones, of Bainbridge’s engineering department.
“As much as I’ve given out, the Navy has put right back into me … I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of my experiences,” she added.
Along with the praise and appreciation shown toward the men and women in uniform who had just returned home, Hegseth also made a point of thanking and recognizing thousands of family members, including 78 new babies — 56 born to Ford families, and 11 who were born to both the Bainbridge and Mahan families, each, during the 11-month deployment — many of whom arrived pier-side today to welcome their sailors back from nearly a year at sea.
“To the families gathered on the pier: … You stood the line alongside your crew as well; you held the line at home. … [To] the heroes of our national defense, who stand the watch, today your long watch is officially over,” Hegseth told the crew, just prior to liberty call being announced, and thousands of Ford sailors being released to see their loved ones awaiting them on the pier.
Following each visit to the Ford, the Bainbridge and the Mahan today, Hegseth rounded out each speech with the same, simple greeting that many of the returning CSG-12 sailors said they appreciated hearing.
“Welcome home,” the secretary said.
By Matthew Olay
Pentagon News