NORFOLK, Va. — The USS Normandy is returning to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday, the last ship of Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to come home after a long deployment.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser was deployed with the Gerald R. Ford CSG in May of 2023. The ship made port in Sweden, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey, Montenegro and Greece.
“For almost 70% of Normandy’s crew, this was their first deployment,” said Command Master Chief William Palmer. “That did not deter them from seizing opportunities to excel and gain further expertise in their fields. Normandy’s Sailors are returning home more accomplished and more resilient, and their families should be proud of the work they have done.”
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived home at Naval Station Norfolk on Wednesday, marking the end of its first-ever deployment.
The strike group left Norfolk in May 2023 for a six-month deployment in the U.S. European Command area that was expected to end in early November. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin extended the group's deployment to respond to the fallout of the Israel-Hamas war, 76 days longer than expected.