The Politics of Welcome: When Defense Secretaries and Presidents Meet the Sailors They've Sent to War The USS Gerald R.
Ford's return to Naval Station Norfolk after a 326 day deployment has brought with it a familiar sight: the Secretary of Defense personally welcoming home the sailors who have served their country abroad.
This time, it was Pete Hegseth who thanked the crew for "a job well done" and praised them for "making history. " The gesture is part of a long standing tradition in which U. S.