The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returned to its home port in San Diego, California on October 8, 2026, thus concluding its second long-term deployment in contemporary times. This deployment also set a new record for the longest consecutive days at sea, surpassing the previous record of 206 days for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during the COVID-19 pandemic with 264 days.
Deployment Details and Military Operations
This return signifies the end of one of the longest and most challenging combat periods for the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to the Navy, this ship participated in 40 consecutive days of combat in the war with Iran, which began on February 28, and also contributed to subsequent efforts and the blockade of Iranian transportation and ports.
Read more: The U.S. deployed a ship and 10,000 military personnel to the Persian Gulf
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the ship on Wednesday to commend the efforts of approximately 5,000 sailors. Helicopters and air teams were dispatched from the ship before returning to base. Hegseth also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to the carrier group.
Combat Operations and Battle Statistics
The Navy reported that this strike group conducted 3,693 combat flight sorties and employed 1.37 million pounds of munitions during these operations. The group also launched 450 cruise missiles and targeted 77 one-way drones fired by Iran. Additionally, 21 anti-ship cruise missiles were destroyed. According to the Navy, this group sank 64 Iranian warships and defended against four fast boats and bomb-laden wooden boats.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed on November 21, 2025, and made a stop in Guam while crossing the Pacific Ocean. The ship did not reach Thailand until September 2 and returned to Guam after a short stop before finally returning to California. With 321 days of deployment, this ship was only five days short of the USS Gerald R. Ford's record of 326 days during the post-Vietnam War era.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington, which operates alongside the USS George H.W. Bush. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is expected to arrive in the region by the end of this month.
Hegseth emphasized that this deployment was carried out without any air incidents. However, the Navy had previously confirmed that eight sailors from the carrier group committed suicide during this long deployment. Families had expressed their concerns to the Navy during the summer due to reports of pressures arising from this long deployment without any breaks and living conditions on the ship.
The Navy reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln had previously been deployed for 294 days during the COVID-19 pandemic and also spent 290 days preparing and during the Iraq War between July 2002 and May 2003.
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