NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The United States' most advanced aircraft carrier left its base in Virginia Tuesday for a regularly scheduled deployment that could position it near Israel after the U.S. inserted itself in Israel's war to destroy Iran's nuclear program.
The U.S. was already planning to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford when American warplanes bombed three Iranian sites early Sunday. Iran retaliated with a limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was still "in effect" on Tuesday, although he expressed frustration that both sides had violated the truce he brokered.
The situation was on the minds of many who cheered when the Ford steamed from its pier in Norfolk, with tugboats hugging the carrier's hull and sailors lining the sprawling deck in their white dress uniforms.
This deployment feels different
“I'm nervous,” said Lindsey Young, whose 32-year-old husband Michael Young is an aviation maintenance officer. “Especially with everything going on in the world. And three kids, by myself, too.”
Young held the couple's 10-month old baby, while her 8-year-old and 10-year-old stood nearby clasping small American flags. When her husband was away on his last deployment, Young said she had a severe allergic reaction, her car tire popped and the dog got hit by a car.
“He was safe — everything at home went wrong,” Young said with a laugh. before adding that this deployment feels different “with Iran and everything going on.”
‘Mobile and maneuverable’
The Ford will sail for the European theater of command, which includes waters off Israel's Mediterranean coast. The presence of the aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships gives Trump the option of a third carrier group in the Middle East if needed.
Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the carrier strike group, told reporters they're initially headed to the European theater but that, “we're mobile and maneuverable.”
“Within one day, we can move this whole strike group 700-plus miles,” he said.
The Ford was previously sent to the Eastern Mediterranean to be close to Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in 2023. Warships also sailed into the Red Sea, where they intercepted missiles fired at Israel and attack drones launched at the ships from Houthi-controlled Yemen.
From November 2023 until January 2025, the Iranian-backed Houthis waged persistent attacks against commercial and military vessels in what the group's leadership described as an effort to end Israel's war against Hamas.
U.S. Navy sailors saw incoming missiles seconds before they were destroyed by their ship's defensive systems. Pentagon officials have talked about how to care for returning sailors, including counseling for possible post-traumatic stress.
The Houthis paused attacks in May under a deal with the U.S., but recently said they would resume them if the Trump administration joined Israel's military campaign against Iran.
Lanzilotta said they're “100% prepared" for any such attacks, while the Navy has been constantly updating its training with new information "for all of the threats that you might see.”
The Ford is the first in the Navy’s new class of advanced aircraft carriers, which are designed to carry a wider variety of planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. Nearly 4,500 sailors departed Tuesday in a strike group that includes fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers.
“I am not worried about our sailors — they’re extremely resilient,” the admiral said, adding that world events have bolstered an even greater sense of purpose.
‘I just want her to make it back home’
Young, the Navy spouse and mother of three, said she knows her husband “is making a difference, too. I know he's his kids' hero, too.”
Cindy and Michael Forrest said their son Andrew, 28, a weapons officer, is excited despite the danger. He left a job in business — no longer wanting to sit behind a computer — to join the Navy.
Cindy Forrest said she's less enthused than her son and worries about his safety and mental health. Her husband said he's not too concerned about recent events in the Middle East because, "there’s always something going on in the world.”
Frank Garcia said bidding farewell to his son, Francisco Garcia Jr., 20, a culinary specialist, was “one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.”
But he said his son is excited, even though he'll miss the birth of his first child.
“He’s wanted to do this since he was a kid,” Garcia said. “So first and foremost, he's defending his country. And then he’s got a family to come home to.”
Latoya Savoy said she was holding it together emotionally while her 19-year-old daughter, who works in aviation ordinance, was preparing to deploy.
“I just want her to make it back home,” said Savoy, an Army veteran. “I told her to stick with her buddies and just pray. She has her bible with her.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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