The USS Abraham Lincoln will make another port stop before returning to the United States, according to the wife of a serving officer aboard the aircraft carrier, extending a deployment that has already raised concerns about conditions, maintenance and crew welfare. Ashley Rogers told Newsweek that her husband said the carrier must remain in the Indo-Pacific to complete time originally assigned to that region after it was diverted to the Middle East. Rogers said that her husband told her the Lincoln had not completed its required time in the Indo-Pacific because it was rerouted to support U.S. operations connected to the war with Iran.
They can’t come back.” Rogers said her husband told her that, even without the additional port call, the carrier would be required to remain in the region. Navy has not independently confirmed the explanation. Multiple port visits during the return phase of a carrier deployment are not unusual and can serve logistical, maintenance, diplomatic and crew-welfare purposes.
Carriers may also resume missions in their originally assigned region after being diverted elsewhere. However, publicly available Navy material does not indicate that ships must formally “make up” a fixed number of days lost to a diversion, leaving unclear whether the Lincoln’s additional stop reflects a binding scheduling requirement or revised orders issued during its extended deployment. Newsweek reached out to the U.S.
The deployment began in November 2025 and was originally expected to end in early summer, according to Rogers. The carrier was originally sent toward the South China Sea but was rerouted to the Middle East in January, where it supported the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations during the Iran war. The Lincoln was subsequently relieved by the USS George Washington before traveling to Thailand.
It arrived at Laem Chabang Port, near Pattaya, on Wednesday after a record-setting period at sea. Rogers said the prospect of a further delay was frustrating after everything the crew had already endured. They’ve extended, they’ve served their time.” Despite the unresolved questions over when the Lincoln will return, Rogers described the carrier’s arrival in Thailand as a “huge relief.” She spoke to her husband by phone after the ship reached port.
Her children were also able to speak to their father. However, she does not expect him to return within the next few weeks because of the other port stop and the distance the carrier must travel. Around 5,000 sailors and Marines are being allowed ashore during what the Navy has called a “liberty port call.” “Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” Rear Admiral Robert E.
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