A nearly year-long deployment at sea takes a toll on military families

A woman stands with her children as her husband prepares to set sail on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford from the Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025, in Norfolk, Va. More than 10 months later the carrier and its crew is still at sea. Joe Raedle/ hide caption toggle caption Joe Raedle/ When sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford left Norfolk, Va., last June, they had little idea they would eventually set the record for the longest post-Vietnam war deployment by a carrier. And their families had little idea of the challenges ahead. But after departing, the USS Ford and its strike group has spent more than 10 months at sea and has been ordered to go from Europe to the Caribbean and the operation around Venezuela to the Middle East. As the U.S. military operation against Iran continues, USS Ford's deployment may soon surpass the record set during the Vietnam War, before it returns to Norfolk, home to the world's biggest naval base. Top Navy officials have predicted that could happen sometime this month. The lengthy deployment has also seen its share of problems on board. In March, a fire in the ship's laundry room displaced 600 sailors. Some sailors lost all of their personal belongings. "They already have such little stuff out there with them. Imagine losing your underwear, your toothbrush, your toiletries," said Taryn Couitt, whose husband is on the USS Ford. Families are sending packages. At times, deliveries are suspended, she said. …