There’s reason for celebration this weekend as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, deployed since October, finally returns home to Hampton Roads. It’s been a lengthy deployment, and a dangerous one, but families of these sailors and Marines can breathe easier having their courageous service members back in Virginia.
Their homecoming serves as a reminder of the central role our region plays in the defense of our nation and the risks willingly accepted by those who volunteer to serve in the military. Decisions to send forces into harm’s way are a president’s most solemn undertaking, and that power should weigh heavily on voters when they head to the polls in November.
When the more than 6,500 sailors and Marines of the Eisenhower strike group sailed out of Naval Station Norfolk in October, those aboard and those at home understood it would be a challenging mission. Only a week before, Hamas terrorists had attacked communities in southern Israel, prompting a furious response from the Israeli Defense Forces. The possibility of a regional war loomed.
The group traversed the Atlantic and sailed into the Mediterranean Sea, where the USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group was also operating in support of Israel and America’s regional allies. The Ford’s deployment had been extended following the start of the war, but that group returned home in January.
The Eisenhower, meanwhile, was dispatched to the Red Sea following a series of attacks launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels operating out of Yemen. The Houthis waged a sustained campaign of rocket launches and drone strikes at commercial shipping traffic using the Suez Canal, claiming to act in support of Palestinians under siege by the IDF in Gaza.
In the following months, U.S. sailors and Marines engaged in what has been described as the Navy’s “longest sea battle since World War II.” The strike group flew more than 13,800 sorties, accumulated more than 31,000 flight hours and completed more than 10,000 aircraft launches and recoveries, according to the Navy.
The Houthi attacks continue, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group out of San Diego will replace the Eisenhower in the Red Sea. Those completing their nine-month deployment will be relieved to come home. Sustained combat over several months takes a tremendous toll on our warriors, many of whom may be profoundly changed by the experience.
At home, they will have the love and support of their family, friends and the larger community. But it wasn’t easy here, either. A misinformation campaign, aided by pro-Russian and pro-Chinese accounts, spread false reports in June that the Houthis had severely damaged the Eisenhower, causing worry and anxiety stateside.
Those who join the armed forces, especially at this perilous moment, know the risks of service. They accept that danger on our behalf, in defense of this nation, and every American benefits from their courage and commitment to duty.
However, it is incumbent on those in power to make certain that every deployment is carefully considered, rigorously debated and, if done, backed with the resources and support needed to succeed. That means more than armor and ammunition. It means providing for their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
The Navy has admitted to falling short on that measure, and the service has suffered an alarming number of suicides in recent years. It has pledged to do better and to strengthen the support networks service members require.
That comes down to leadership, and Americans will face choices in November that will shape the future of the armed forces and how they are used. It’s not only the presidential race that matters, but also those for Senate and House that will determine when the military is deployed, against whom and whether it has the means to achieve its goals.
Hampton Roads knows better than most the honor of service and the risks involved. As we welcome home these heroes, the rest of the nation should take note, and elevate candidates both capable and worthy of the awesome responsibility of leading our armed forces.
