War Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the presidential unit citation to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group on Saturday as the naval squadron returned home from a nearly 11-month deployment, the longest deployment of an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam war.The Presidential Unit Citation is the highest award that a U.S. military unit can collectively receive.Hegseth personally visited the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to hand the carrier strike group the prestigious award for valor.
.@SECWAR “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…CONGRATULATIONS, GODSPEED, AND WELCOME HOME.” pic.twitter.com/JjafHFOlTX— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) May 16, 2026
“The Ford Carrier Strike Group did an extraordinary job,” Hegseth said at the homecoming ceremony. “The only story we can tell today is of the heroism and the skill and the professionalism of these sailors, who went three times around the globe to defend that flag right there.”
Nearly 4,500 sailors aboard one of the ships in the carrier strike group returned stateside after spending 326 days abroad. The vessels that returned include the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS Bainbridge, and USS Mahan, according to the Department of War.
