Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle stepped aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) and USS Mahan (DDG 72) to personally thank the Sailors for their tireless service over the course of a historic 11-month deployment.

He emphasized their presence across four different areas of operation made our nation safer and voiced his profound respect for the sacrifices made by both the Sailors and their families. Check out this video of his thank you message to our Sailors.

@USFleetForces Hope he turned to it quickly, they deserve their liberty.

After 11 months away from their families...nobody can leave the ship because the CNO couldn't have flown out the day before when the whole strike group was cutting donuts off the coast...said what he needed to say, and let them get off the ship when they pulled in. 1. speeches from admirals that keep you from your family is not the retention tool you think it is.

This is great headlines and looks good to the public but, do you know who the last person these sailors want to see after deployment is? Anyone holding up Liberty call and keeping them from their families. They should take the short Helo ride out to sea and visit the day before.

Why is it that everyone does their best to delay sailors getting off the boat and just go home. Here's a thought. Fly them out to the ship...do the PR thing, the grip and grins. When the ship docks...get the troops off and on their way.

Love it, Sir. "Stay lethal" is a true motto. Love it, Sir. When the country calls for it, lethality, or the preparation to execute it, matters. Hooyah!!!! #FlyNavy #GoNavy

@USNavy I am grateful for every one of them.

@USNavy Thank you for putting the Iranian fleet at the bottom of the sea! 💪🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Welcome Home and I Thank You all for Your Service🇺🇲💪🙏

@FreeAmericaJ6 Great job guys🫡⚓🇺🇸 Vet in Paradise @bigvalleyrob3

Welcome home...and I thought 100 days at sea was a long time.! LOL

Now that’s a Sailor’s Sailor! BZ!!

@William80140007 Glad you wore an actual navy uniform and not a flight suit or NWU. Make Wash Khaki great again.

Welcome home, shipmates. An extended arduous deployment is hard on the spirit. Cherish these moments.

Naval presence! Well done crew! Haze gray and underway. Time to come home.

@USNavy Thank you! Every one is a hero. 🫡

God bless each and every sailor, Marine, and all who were deployed for a record-setting mission. God bless their wives and families!❤️🤍💙🇺🇸🫡

I don’t think anyone cares that he or SecWar were there. They just want to go home. Leave the pageantry on the table. They are all messed up as it is from 11 brutal months. Some of them won’t be the same again and many won’t want to ship over. You can be thankful yes of course, but that can be done later. And there are other ways to show it besides saying it.

@gcanderson57 ⚓️

@USNavy I feel sorry for all our service members who took part in the most pointless war of the many pointless wars we’ve waged in the Mideast. #NeverVoteRepublicanAgain

Thank you all! We appreciate you so much. Job well done, patriots! 🇺🇲⚓️🫡 🦅 ❤️🤍💙

@USNavy Hand out some free debit cards to these sailors as a catchup from being away!

Well done! We're all very proud of what you've done. AMERICA! 🇺🇸

My Dad and most recently my husband were Navy and very proud to serve!

Yup!!

Did you hear nany: ,Kids.’?

God bless fleet.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@USNavy Oh that makes everything worth it for 11 months

@USNavy No lie, thank you so much

@USNavy Great job

@JanetBr76163738 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Can’t imagine having duty upon arrival. That would totally suck!!! As for the CNO making remarks to the crew…yeah, pretty stupid decision on someone’s part. Been there, done that on IKE (CVN-69). These Sailors and Marines just want to see their families. Spare us the pageantry.

@SoldiersWhisper That’s a long damn time to be at sea! Been there done that , but only for seven straight months. It’s what we do ! Fly navy !