The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived at its home port of San Diego on Thursday, with those waiting on the shore getting a first glimpse of the ship that spent 10 months on deployment. The carrier’s record-setting period of consecutive days at sea was dogged with reports of law morale, suicide attempts and lack of food. It also drew scrutiny, when it was pictured with rust and algae on its hull, with paint missing from its waterline, while it made port in Laem Chabang, on the Gulf of Thailand, south of Bangkok.
Families and locals gathered to see the ship arrive back on the California coast, with banners and flags greeting those on board. Sailors lined the edge of the carrier as it docked, waving at the crowd, clapping, and dancing as they heard cheers from the shore. Ahead of the Lincoln's arrival, national and state officials shared messages to the crew on social media, including former Vice President Mike Pence.
"Your Safe Return is Answered Prayer," he wrote on X. "Congratulations on a Job Well Done in Operation Epic Fury! America is Proud of You All!" San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said he hoped the days ahead brought rest, healing and joy to those on board.
"For more than 300 days, these service members were separated from their families and the community they call home. They answered every call placed before them with courage, professionalism and extraordinary resilience," Gloria said in a statement shared to X. "This homecoming also belongs to their families.
They endured months of uncertainty, missed milestones and long stretches with limited communication while continuing to support their loved ones from thousands of miles away. We know this deployment took a serious toll. As these men and women return, they deserve the time, care and resources necessary to rest, recover and reconnect with the people they love." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the crew on board on Wednesday, ahead of its official return after 321 days at sea, when the crew went 264 days without a port call.
President Donald Trump “wanted me to personally thank you, each and every one of you, from the Oval Office for what you have done here,” Hegseth told the crew. But the ship underwent some cleaning when during its Thailand port visit, leaving its exterior fresher for its homecoming. On Wednesday, Hegseth spoke out against “a few folks in the media” whom he said tried to turn the Lincoln’s deployment “into some sort of symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission.” Newsweek has contacted the U.S.
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