After eleven months of mission, the 6,000 crew members of the American aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” return to earth

Finally, dry land. After eleven months on mission, the 6,000 crew members of the American aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” returned to the United States on Thursday October 8. Military families gathered on the docks of the base in San Diego, California, to welcome their loved ones, whom they had not seen since their departure.

Some cried tears of joy: more than a hundred new dads saw their babies for the first time, and many fathers found their children much older than they had left them. “Hello my little girl, hello!” exclaimed a beaming sailor as he placed a kiss on his baby’s forehead.

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The USS “Abraham Lincoln” left its base in November 2025 for a mission in the South China Sea. But it was redirected to the Middle East when the United States and Israel launched war against Iran in February. This prolonged deployment took a heavy toll on the crew. In August, families of soldiers and several elected officials warned about conditions on board, notably reporting food shortages.

Eight suicide attempts among soldiers

The ship's return home is a relief for the families, who found it difficult to communicate with the soldiers on board. Coming to welcome her partner with her daughter, Alba Solano says she mainly received news from her companion “by e-mail”. “We managed to exchange text messages from time to time,” she added. "The phone calls were horrible. It never worked. He could hear us, but we couldn't hear him."

Last month, the Trump administration acknowledged in a letter that there had been eight suicide attempts among military personnel. "A sailor (...) went overboard at the beginning of August" and "was quickly rescued (...) and taken off the ship for further treatment", details the letter. Another sailor “attempted to throw himself overboard in March” but “was prevented from doing so by his comrades” and “returned to his home port.” None of them died.

On Wednesday, the day before the aircraft carrier disembarked, Pete Hegseth visited the ship to congratulate its crew. “What the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group accomplished, no other could have done,” boasted the Minister of Defense, listing the “ten thousand sorties, 23,000 combat flight hours, nearly 4,000 combat sorties” accomplished. He also awarded the highest collective military honor to the ship's carrier strike group.