The Pentagon has announced that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford returned to the United States today after a 326-day deployment. The Ford had previously participated in anti-drug operations in the Caribbean Sea and was deployed to the Middle East for a mission ahead of the war with Iran. The U.S. military stated on the social platform X that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, to welcome the return of the world's largest aircraft carrier. The U.S. military said this was the longest mission deployment for a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group since the Vietnam War. During its mission, the USS Ford participated in U.S. military operations in the Caribbean at a time when Washington was cracking down on vessels identified as drug traffickers. Its missions also included seizing sanctioned oil tankers and arresting former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The Ford was subsequently deployed to the Middle East to participate in military operations against Iran.