NORFOLK, Va. — Navy leadership says the USS Gerald R. Ford is now expected to be on an 11-month deployment after leaving Naval Station Norfolk last June.
The Ford has recently been traveling through the Suez Canal in support of the U.S. military operation involving Iran — the latest destination for the ship since its deployment began last June.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine says a normal deployment would be around seven months.
"You run it for 8, 9, 10, 11 months there are a whole lot of maintenance issues that come up that make quality of life even worse," Kaine said.
If the Ford reaches the 11-month mark, it would not return home until sometime in May. The exact plan for the ship is not publicly known.
"It's likely to break all records for a carrier deployment certainly since the Vietnam War," Kaine said.
The war continues, with seven American troops now killed — including one with ties to Northern Virginia. News 3 asked local Congresswoman Jen Kiggans if she has concerns about the length of the operation.
"This objective is moving quickly ahead of schedule. I look forward to welcoming home all of our military members. I'm thankful that they are tip of the spear right now," Kiggans said.
Kaine forced a vote from Congress about the war's authorization, but it failed. He continues to believe President Trump has not properly justified the need for war.
"I think this war is illegal and I also think it is an absolutely horrible idea," Kaine said.
Kiggans has said she believes the president has made the case, arguing Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S.
"We still have the same goals the administration set forth in Iran - between destroying Iran's ballistic missile capability and destroying their navy and destroying their ability to have nuclear weapons, so this continues to be the priorities from what I understand," Kiggans said.
With strong ties to the local military community, many in the area are watching what goes on in the Middle East.
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