Overview
- The nuclear-powered carrier has remained deployed for 295 straight days, a post–Vietnam mark based on U.S. Naval Institute News data that the Navy has not disputed.
- Senior Navy leaders have said they expect about an eleven-month tour, which points to a late May return, though the Pentagon has given no date.
- The deployment began in June 2025 from Norfolk, moved to the Mediterranean, and shifted to the Caribbean in October during a larger U.S. naval presence in the region.
- Crew welfare has drawn scrutiny after a fire on board damaged berthing areas and at times left roughly 600 sailors without sleeping spaces, according to Sen. Tim Kaine.
- The 295-day run passes the USS Abraham Lincoln’s 294 days in 2020 but still falls short of Cold War highs such as the USS Midway’s 332 days.