A nearly year-long deployment at sea takes a toll on military families

A woman stands with her children as her husband prepares to set sail on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford from the Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025, in Norfolk, Va. More than 10 months later the carrier and its crew is still at sea.

Families in Norfolk, Va., await the return of roughly 15,000 sailors and Marines as the USS Ford continues a deployment that started more than 10 months ago.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)