
The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego Bay after a 265-day deployment supporting operations related to Iran, during which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded the crew the Presidential Unit Citation and dismissed claims of low morale or mission failure.
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The USS Abraham Lincoln completed a 265-day deployment, setting a record for uninterrupted time at sea, during which it supported operations related to Iran amid reports of crew hardship.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home to San Diego Bay Thursday after supporting the Iran war during a record-long deployment of 265 uninterrupted days at sea that included reports of deteriorating conditions among its crew.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth flew out to the carrier on Wednesday to give the crew the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honour a unit can receive that is typically reserved for significant achievement in combat.
Hegseth pushed back against what he said were efforts to turn the “Lincoln into some sort of a symbol, a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission”.
He said “what makes the US military and the US Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you’re resilient and you overcome – you finish the mission nonetheless.”
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Navy will conduct a review of crew welfare during extended deployments following public concern over conditions aboard the Lincoln.
Possible · Within weeks

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