NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors aboard USS Gerald R. Ford are continuing their deployment now in the Middle East amid the war with Iran.
The Defense Department released photos this weekend of Sailors at work aboard the Norfolk-based carrier.
The photos' captions do not reveal the exact location, but the DOD says they are in support of the ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran. U.S. Central Command says the Ford has been launching aircraft from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The Ford Strike Group departed Naval Station Norfolk last June for Europe and was then sent to the area around Venezuela in the fall, when the U.S. later launched a military operation to capture the country's president.
Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have been tracking the Ford and its deployment. Both senators say President Trump has not properly outlined the reasons for war.
"We know these assets that are deployed overseas are going to have Virginians connected to them," Kaine said.
"Our sailors will do their duty, but they are owed an explanation about why they're still deployed, how long will they be deployed," Warner said.
Republicans have largely stood by the president's call to strike Iran.
"By doing what they did now, I believe they prevented bigger problems later," said Rep. John McGuire (R-Virginia).
Concerns have also been raised about the length of the deployment and the strain it places on families.
"We're putting such incredible additional stress, and Hampton Roads is ground zero since the majority of those sailors deployed out of Norfolk," said Warner.
Maintenance concerns have also been raised about the ship, including issues with the bathrooms.
"As we know, we've got the world's greatest navy, but these ships break down. The idea that you're on a carrier for seven, eight months and maybe the toilets don't work," said Warner.
Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, addressed the length of the Ford's deployment in a statement made days before the war with Iran began.
"Extended deployments demand endurance," Caudle said. "That sacrifice is real and we do not take it lightly. The nation relies on these sailors to remain forward and ready, and they continue to meet that responsibility with professionalism and pride."
The exact amount of time the ship will spend in the region remains unclear, but Kaine said its deploying is approaching the longest for an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War.
President Trump told CNN he thought the war would last four weeks but said things are ahead of schedule, while thousands of local sailors continue to answer the call from the Middle East.
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