Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on May 16 after 326 days at sea, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presenting the unit with the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), the military’s highest unit honor and, according to Task and Purpose, the first awarded in the war with Iran.

The PUC is reserved for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy. “To wear this ribbon is to tell the world that everyone in this formation fought with an indomitable spirit,” Hegseth said at the homecoming ceremony.

Forged by the Sea. Bound for Home.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Carrier Strike Group is officially headed home after answering the nation’s call.

Homecomings commence today as squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 return to their respective bases. The flagship and the… pic.twitter.com/qeS6qD2bqp

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) May 11, 2026

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departed Norfolk on June 24, 2025, for a planned European deployment under Rear Adm. Gavin Duff. The mission expanded across three combatant commands. CSG-12 transited to the Caribbean for Operations Southern Spear and Absolute Resolve, culminating in the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, then shifted to the Red Sea for Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

Sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford are back home. pic.twitter.com/0Jh8tFMotl

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) May 16, 2026

Before returning, the crew completed 23 replenishments-at-sea and sailed 57,713 nautical miles. Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) logged 5,760 flight hours and 12,200 flight launches.

GALLERY | Thousands of families and friends lined the pier at Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday to finally welcome home sailors of the USS. Gerald R. Ford after nearly a year at sea on a historic deployment.

See more photos:https://t.co/jGontJ5f3u #militaryhomecoming pic.twitter.com/nLQeTRrEoK

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) May 16, 2026

The Ford’s 326 days surpassed USS Abraham Lincoln’s 295-day mark from January 2020, setting a post-Vietnam War record for carrier deployments. USS Midway’s 332-day deployment in 1973 and USS Coral Sea’s 329-day run in 1965 are the only longer deployments on record.

A non-combat fire in the ship’s laundry spaces on March 12 injured three sailors and displaced approximately 600 others. The Ford docked at Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs before returning to sea on April 2.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle noted during the homecoming ceremony that the mission was originally planned for seven months. “These were missed events from weddings to births,’ he said, emphasizing the challenges of the 11-month timeline.”

“The sacrifice of our families is inseparable from the success of this carrier strike group,” Rear Adm. Duff said at the Norfolk ceremony.