The USS Abraham Lincoln is set to return to the United States after spending 266 days deployed, including more than 200 days in a combat zone, as concerns over conditions faced by sailors aboard the carrier have drawn scrutiny.
Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said on Friday that the carrier would return home soon as part of a planned rotation. He defended the extended deployment, saying it had been prolonged because operational requirements demanded it.
“The Lincoln was extended because the mission demanded it. Deployments are hard. Combat operations make them harder,” Cao said, while stressing that the safety and welfare of sailors and Marines remained a priority.
The carrier's prolonged deployment has come under attention following reports of low morale and mental health concerns among sailors. Members of the US Congress and families of personnel have raised questions about the conditions aboard the ship.
According to Cao, a small number of mental health cases were treated during the deployment, with no loss of life. He also acknowledged that meal plans had to be adjusted when fresh supplies were unavailable and that calls home were restricted at times because of operational threats.
“There is no question our young men and women have been pushed to their limits,” Cao said, while arguing that the crew had remained operationally effective.
Extended deployment and combat operations
The Abraham Lincoln left its home port in San Diego in November last year and was later redirected to West Asia to support US operations during the ongoing war with Iran.
Cao said the carrier had conducted more than 10,000 sorties and dropped around 1.5 million pounds of ordnance during its deployment. He also claimed that retention rates aboard the carrier were among the highest across US aircraft carriers.
The carrier has reportedly not made a port call in more than 200 days. A sailor also went overboard from the Lincoln last month but was quickly rescued and medically evaluated. The circumstances surrounding the incident have not been fully disclosed.
Cao rejected descriptions of the sailors and Marines as victims, saying they and their families had demonstrated resilience throughout the deployment.
He said the carrier's return would mark the end of an unusually prolonged operational period and urged the public to welcome the crew home.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is part of the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and serves as a major platform for air operations and maritime power projection.
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