USS Gerald R. Ford nears longest carrier deployment since Vietnam War

Sailors who have been aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford over the last nine months are mere days away from breaking the record for the longest deployment in the United States' post-Cold War era.

Wednesday, April 15 will mark 295 days since the USS Gerald R. Ford, or CVN-78, first left Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for a regularly-scheduled deployment with nearly 4,500 sailors aboard. The carrier has since been ordered toIranas part ofPresident Donald Trump'sefforts to pressure Iranian leaders into reaching a nuclear peace agreement.

Past aircraft carrier deployments that have stretched into the nine-month mark include theUSS Midway, which spent nearly 11 months deployed in the early 1970s, and theUSS Abraham Lincoln, which spent nearly 10 months at sea between April 2019 and January 2020.

Iran war updates:Trump says US-Iran ceasefire is 'holding well'

There’s also theUSS Nimitz, which was deployed for nearly 11 months between spring 2020 and spring 2021, amid a 27-day ship-wide quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

USA TODAY contacted the U.S. Navy, the White House and the Department of War for comment on April 13. The U.S. Navy, to whom USA TODAY was referred, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More deployment news:Satellite images show the USS Tripoli taking Marines to Iran

Trump sends USS Gerald R. Ford to Iran as 'additional power'

When the USS Gerald R. Ford first deployed from Virginia in June 2025, theU.S. Second Fleetsaid the carrier was leaving “as an integrated naval force in support of economic prosperity, national security, and national defense.”

In mid-February, Trump sent the USS Gerald R. Ford to Iran as part of the U.S.' attempt to pressure the country to reach a new nuclear peace agreement.

"Tremendous power has arrived," the president said while speaking to thepress on Feb. 13 at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. "Additional power … another carrier is going out shortly."

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When asked that day about Iran’s nuclear sites being "obliterated" and what the US. is after in sending more power to Iran, Trump said that's really the "least of the mission," adding that "We'd probably grab whatever's left."

More on the USS Gerald R. Ford, other record-setting aircraft carriers

Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia delivered the USS Gerald R. Ford to the U.S. Navy onMay 31, 2017. Trump commissioned the aircraft carriernearly two months later.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is named after the38th president of the United States, who previously served in the U.S. Navy. Ford served during World War II, ranking lieutenant commander. He was president from 1974 to 1977.

The USS Gerald R. Fordmeasures 1,092 feet long and has a beam measuring 134 feet. Its flight deck measures just over 255 feet, and the aircraft carrier can travel more than 34½ miles per hour.

If the USS Gerald R. Ford surpasses the 295-day deployment mark on Wednesday, April 15, the aircraft carrier will be up against the:

• USS Abraham Lincoln – 294 days (295 days when counting the day the ship returned)

• USS Midway – 332 days

• USS Nimitz – 341 days (including a 27-day ship-wide COVID-19 quarantine)

In February 2026, more than eight months into deployment, the Navy said sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford showed "resilience, professionalism, and sustained morale while serving far from home."

The Navy also addressed complaints of shipboard systems and sanitation issues aboard the aircraft carrier. According to Navy officials, the Ford’s systems "are operating within expected parameters for a Ford-class aircraft carrier with more than 4,000 personnel embarked."

"On a ship this size, with this many Sailors, clogs will occur," Capt. David Skarosi, commanding officer of USS Gerald R. Ford, said in the news release.

He added, "Our maintenance teams respond immediately, and the system continues to function as designed with no impact to operational readiness or our ability to meet our mission."

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:USS Gerald R. Ford nears deployment record after over 9 months at sea

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USS Gerald R. Ford nears longest carrier deployment since Vietnam War

Sailors who have been aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford over the last nine months are mere days away from breaking the rec...

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What's going on with Donald Trump and Pope Leo? A timeline

The contentious back-and-forth betweenPresident Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIVcontinued over the weekend, with the president lashing out at the pope's criticisms of the war in Iran.

The president also appeared to take issue with arecent closed-door meetingbetween the Chicago native and a figure close to former President Barack Obama.

Here's a breakdown of what's going on.

How did the situation withDonald Trumpand Pope Leo start?

The recent friction began Tuesday, April 7, when Trump threatened to wipe out "a whole civilization" in Iran if the nation's capital didn't make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat proved controversial among many, including the pope, who labeled the comment "truly unacceptable."

"I would invite citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressman, to ask them to work for peace and to reject war always," the pope said to the press later that day.

Following the two-week ceasefire deal announced the next day, Pope Leo asked the world to join him in "this moment of delicate diplomacywith prayer."

"I welcome with satisfaction − and as a sign of living hope − the announcement of an immediate two-week truce," the pope wrote on X. "Only by returning to negotiations can the war come to an end."

During a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican Saturday, April 11, the pope called out the "delusion of omnipotencethat surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive."

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money!" the pope said. "Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life."

See JD Vance in Pakistan for Iran peace talks

What did Donald Trump write about Pope Leo on Truth Social?

The president took to social media Sunday to call the pope "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

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In a lengthy Truth Social post dedicated to the pope, Trump praised the religious figure's brother Louis for being "all MAGA," criticized the Catholic Church's actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and condemned the pope's criticisms of the United State's foreign policy.

Trump also claimed responsibility for the pope's election, saying, "If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican."

"He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump," the president wrote.

Trump targets Pope Leo's meeting with Obama adviser

Trump also appeared to take issue with a recent closed-door meeting between the pope and Democratic strategist David Axelrod.

Axelrod served as a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, stoking speculation among many about a potential meeting between the pontiff and 44th president.

In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod."

Trump labeled Axelrod "a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested," and continued to say the pope should "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician."

Has Pope Leo responded to Trump's Truth Social post?

The popeaddressed Trump's commentsSunday as he spoke to reporters on a flight from Rome to Algeria.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do," he said. "I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him. I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."

When asked for his thoughts on the president's Truth Social comments, the pontiff said: "It’s ironic – the name of the site itself. Say no more."

CONTRIBUTING:Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,Terry CollinsandPhillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Pope Leo responds to Trump's Truth Social post. What did it say?

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What's going on with Donald Trump and Pope Leo? A timeline

The contentious back-and-forth betweenPresident Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIVcontinued over the weekend, with the president lashing out...

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Failure of US-Iran talks is a blow to hopes of finding an off-ramp to crisis

We watched the sun go down in Islamabad and then come up again as these marathon talks went on. To endwithout a dealmarks a fundamental blow to nascent hopes of finding an off-ramp to this crisis.

These were meetings of huge consequence –– the highest-level talks between US and Iranian officials since the formation of the Islamic Republic in 1979 –– and it’s hard to underestimate just how complex the discussions have been.

Beyond what was said in the room, technical papers were exchanged and reviewed repeatedly. But the two sides were simply too far apart, not just in substance, but in style and temperament. The respective delegations went into these talks with vastly different approaches: US Vice PresidentJD Vanceappeared to be after a relatively quick solution after the implementation of a two-week ceasefire, but Tehran typically moves much slower,negotiating over the long term.

With Vance saying America has put forward its “best and final” offer, the ball now seems to sit firmly in the Iranian court. And if there are going to be more talks, Iran will have to change its position somehow.

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Iran believes the talksfailed because of “excessive” US demands, and it’s clear from both sides that nuclear enrichment is a key sticking point. Tehran has insisted for years it would not build a nuclear weapon and that it only wished to pursue a nuclear power program, but its actions ramping up the level of enrichment of uranium in recent years caused great concern in the West — and were the catalyst for last year’s 12-day conflict with Israel. Iran still appears unwilling to give up on enrichment. The White House wants a cast-iron commitment that Iran won’t build a nuclear weapon.

As the talks played out, we saw various statements released through Iranian media that appeared aimed at a domestic audience, some explaining why Tehran had even entered diplomatic talks at all with its longtime enemy. Its foreign ministry went so far as to spell out that diplomacy was “the continuation of the sacred jihad of the defenders of the Iranian land.”

The two-week ceasefire itself was struck against the backdrop of a maximalist threat from US President Donald Trump to annihilate a civilization and blow up Iran’s power plants and key infrastructure. Whether that threat comes into play again is now a key question.

Two other fundamental questions hang in the air: How will Iran respond to the US walking away? And how much longer will the global economy be stuck in limbo?

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Failure of US-Iran talks is a blow to hopes of finding an off-ramp to crisis

We watched the sun go down in Islamabad and then come up again as these marathon talks went on. To endwithout a dealmarks a fundamental...

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Where to watch Masters today: Time, TV and stream as Rory McIlroy eyes repeat

Rory McIlroyis 18 holes away from making history atthe 90th Masters, but he'll have to outlast Cameron Young in order to do so.

The Northern Irishman and American are co-leads through the first three rounds at Augusta National after Young's eight-stroke comeback to tie McIlroy atop the leaderboard on Saturday. McIlroy, on the other hand, entered Saturday 12-under with a cushiony six-shot lead but got off to a slow start with a bogey on the first hole.

Just when it looked like McIlroy had righted the ship and was going to run away with it after all, things spiraled with his rare double-bogey on No. 11 and some more mishaps, leaving an opening for Young to overtake him for the lead.

McIlroy tied things back up to finish a rocky third round at 11-under par. He's still in a good position to become the first golfer to win back-to-back green jackets since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002, but he's going to have to sweat it out a lot more than it looked like he would have to when he cruised through the first two rounds.

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Here's how to watch the final round of the 2026 Masters.

Masters champions: Every winner at Augusta since 2000

Where to watch the Masters on Sunday

The final round of the Masters will air on CBS with coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET. Coverage will end at approximately 7 p.m. ET.

Anyone looking to stream Masters content can find coverage onParamount+, theESPNapp, Masters.com or Amazon Prime Video.

Full streaming schedule for Round 4 of the Masters

*All times Eastern

• On the Range: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (Masters.com/Masters app, Paramount+, ESPN app)

• Featured Groups: 10:15 a.m.-7 p.m. (Masters.com/Masters app, Paramount+, ESPN app, Amazon Prime Video)

• Featured Holes (4, 5 and 6): 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Masters.com/Masters app, ESPN app)

• Featured Holes (Amen Corner, 11, 12 and 13): 11:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Masters.com/Masters app, Paramount+, ESPN app, Amazon Prime Video)

• Featured Holes (15 and 16): 12:30-6:30 p.m. (Masters.com/Masters app, Paramount+, ESPN app, Amazon Prime Video)

• Round 4 Early Coverage: 12-2 p.m. (Paramount+, Masters.com/Masters app)

• Round 4 CBS Telecast: 2-7 p.m. (Paramount+, Masters.com/Masters app)

Azaleas are blooming, pine trees are standing tall and the dogwoods are flowering. The 90th Masters Tournament is set to begin at the Augusta National Golf Club. See one image from each hole of the fabled course. Tiger Woods watches his approach shot on the first hole, named Tea Olive, during the third round of the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. The par-4, 445-yard hole has a slight dogleg right that plays uphill.

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One photo from every hole at iconic Augusta National, home of Masters

Azaleas are blooming, pine trees are standing tall and the dogwoods are flowering. The90th Masters Tournamentis set to begin at the Augusta National Golf Club. See one image from each hole of the fabled course. Tiger Woods watches his approach shot on the first hole, named Tea Olive, during the third round of the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. The par-4, 445-yard hole has a slight dogleg right that plays uphill.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Masters 2026 TV channel, stream and how to watch Augusta action Sunday

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Where to watch Masters today: Time, TV and stream as Rory McIlroy eyes repeat

Rory McIlroyis 18 holes away from making history atthe 90th Masters, but he'll have to outlast Cameron Young in order to do so. ...

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