USS Abraham Lincoln Returns to San Diego After Record 321-Day Deployment in Iran War

By Staff, Agencies

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returned to its home port of San Diego on Thursday, concluding a record-setting 321-day deployment that included participation in the US-Israeli war against Iran, according to USNI News.

The carrier arrived at Naval Air Station North Island after spending 265 consecutive days at sea without making a port call, setting a Navy record.

On Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the ship at sea and presented its crew with the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award given to military units, in recognition of its role in Operation Epic Fury.

Addressing sailors aboard the carrier, Hegseth praised the strike group’s performance, saying it had accomplished what “no other carrier strike group has ever done.” He also pushed back against portrayals of the ship as a symbol of operational dysfunction or declining morale.

The Lincoln, which carries approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines, departed San Diego last November for the Pacific before being redirected to the Middle East following the launch of US-“Israeli” aggression against Iran on Feb. 28.

During the summer, media reports raised concerns about shortages of food and essential supplies aboard the carrier, as well as deteriorating mental health and morale among crew members. Reports also indicated that two sailors had attempted to jump overboard.