Ford Carrier Strike Group Earns Top US Unit Award After Iran Combat Ops

Presidential Unit Citation Presented in Norfolk

The Ford Carrier Strike Group has been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the U.S. military’s highest collective unit honor, for actions during combat operations against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the award in Norfolk, Virginia, as USS Gerald R. Ford returned to home port following a 326-day deployment.

The citation, signed by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, recognizes “outstanding performance in action against enemy forces from 28 February to 1 May 2026 in Support of Operation Epic Fury.” It states that Carrier Strike Group Twelve distinguished itself through “outstanding warfighting prosecution while engaged in sustained combat operations against a determined enemy.”

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle joined the homecoming ceremony.

Scope of the Awarded Operations

According to the citation, units in the strike group coordinated attacks on Iranian warships and land targets and flew more than 1,700 air sorties during the cited period. The document says those operations were conducted while the force remained under “persistent threat from enemy missiles and one-way attack drones.”

The award is the highest decoration publicly reported so far for forces involved in the ongoing conflict with Iran. A temporary ceasefire remains in place, while multiple U.S. naval forces, including two other aircraft carriers, continue operating in waters around the Middle East.

Composition of Carrier Strike Group Twelve

Alongside USS Gerald R. Ford, the strike group included the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Bainbridge, and USS Mahan, with other ships rotating in and out during the deployment. Carrier Air Wing Eight, which returned earlier in the week, consists of nine squadrons.

The Ford and the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group both took part in Operation Epic Fury beginning Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran. USS George H.W. Bush later joined the regional carrier presence.

A 326-Day Global Deployment

Ford departed in June 2025 and first crossed the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. It later moved through the Strait of Gibraltar to northern Europe for NATO exercises before returning south. In late 2025, the strike group was redirected to the Caribbean in support of Task Force Southern Spear.

That mission, officially focused on alleged drug-smuggling interdiction, expanded to operations aimed at pressuring Venezuela. In January, Ford participated in Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. attack on Venezuela that included the special operations raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro. The carrier was also later used as a platform for boarding teams that seized sanctioned oil tankers.

By February, after already exceeding the Navy’s typical seven-month deployment length, the strike group was ordered back across the Atlantic for the Middle East buildup.

Rarity of the Citation and Deployment Strain

The Presidential Unit Citation is rarely awarded and is generally associated with major combat actions. Historic recipients include the 1st Marine Division for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950 and the 2nd Ranger Battalion for D-Day in 1944.

At 326 days, Ford’s deployment ranks among the Navy’s longest in the past 50 years, trailing only USS Nimitz’s 341-day deployment during the COVID-19 period in 2020-2021.

The deployment also included non-combat setbacks. Ford reportedly experienced repeated plumbing failures, including overflowing toilets and compartment flooding. In March, a fire in the ship’s laundry room caused damage and forced the carrier to leave Operation Epic Fury temporarily for repairs at a European port.