'However long it takes': USS Bush gets underway as Iran conflict rages

Emma Rose Brown, The Virginian-Pilot on Mar 31, 2026

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NORFOLK, Va. — The USS George H.W. Bush got underway from Naval Station Norfolk on Tuesday as the conflict in the Middle East continues to rage.

Families traveled from near and far to see off their loved ones. According to Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, commander of the Bush’s carrier strike group, the deployment timeline and location are under wraps.

“You’ll never know where they’re going, what they’re doing. It’s for their safety though,” said Arlene Tate, whose husband Steve is aboard. “Loose lips sink ships.”

Tate is a yellow shirt on the flight deck. His father, Steven Tate, traveled from Florida to see his son off.

“You just can’t miss it,” he said.

The Bush is expected to make its way to the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury. The U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

The Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was rerouted to the Middle East in February from the Caribbean and has received extended deployment orders. It left Norfolk in June 2025 and is on track for the longest deployment since the Vietnam War.

The Ford’s deployment has seen a range of problems on board, from ongoing sewage issues to a fire in the laundry on March 12.

Walker said that while he cannot speak to the specifics of the Bush’s deployment, the carrier strike group has completed extensive training and is prepared for whatever it will bring.

“There is a published length of deployment, but who knows how long it’s going to take. When our job is done around the world, then we’ll come home.”

“We talk to our other strike group counterparts across the world to glean those lessons learned so that when we head into whichever operations of theater we’re in, we capture those lessons learned and we’re ready to operate on day one,” Walker said.

When asked about how leadership is preparing the crew and their families for a potentially lengthy deployment, Walker said they will “execute our responsibilities in accordance with published guidance” but offered few words of solace.

“We’ll communicate with our families as we’re allowed to, but we’re out there to do a mission, and we’ll be out there for however long it takes.”

Allyson Carraway, whose sister Tyesha Ervin is a chief on the Bush and on her fourth deployment, said that current events and the potential length of the deployment are leaving her feeling uneasy.

Carraway drove up from South Carolina the night before the departure and stocked her sister up with some of her favorite snacks like coconut water and chips.

After nearly two decades serving, she says Ervin is ready to move on from the Navy.

“She thought about staying a little longer since getting chief, but when her three years is up, she’ll just retire.”

Before getting underway, three-star general Vice Adm. John Gumbleton, deputy commander of Fleet Forces, gave a pep talk to the crew over the announcement system.

“From the CNO on down, we are aware of the uncertainty of this deployment date, that’s caused anxiety and frustration. But no matter what the strategic outlook may be, you are ready for deployment.”

The carrier will catch up with the rest of its strike group and likely transit together to the Middle East.

One of the Bush’s destroyers, the USS Ross, left Norfolk last Wednesday. The other two — the USS Mason and USS Donald Cook — departed last week from Mayport, Florida.

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