Norfolk: The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford returned home on Saturday after an extended 11-month deployment that included operations in the Iran war and support for the mission that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

According to Anadolu Agency, the USS Gerald R. Ford Strike Group arrived at its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia after spending more than 320 days at sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined the families of nearly 4,500 sailors to welcome home the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.

Aircraft carriers are typically deployed for about seven months. Alongside the Ford, the destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan also returned home. Hegseth addressed the sailors aboard the USS Bainbridge, acknowledging their extensive service. 'You sailed to the Mediterranean, to Europe. You thought that was your mission. And then orders changed, and you sailed to the Caribbean, and you helped ensure that foreign terrorist organizations, drugs, (and) others were put on notice,' he remarked.

During operations connected to Venezuela, the carrier launched aircraft involved in the mission to capture Maduro. In the Middle East, the ship served as a launch platform for repeated fighter jet operations during the war with Iran. Hegseth emphasized the significance of their mission, stating, 'You made sure a dictator, who put on notice and brought home justice, showing the world what was possible with absolute resolve. And then when called upon again, you sailed to the Middle East to be a part of a historic mission operation, 'Epic Fury.''