The record-long deployment for the USS Lincoln finally comes to an end.
After 265 uninterrupted days at sea, the aircraft carrier returns home to San Diego on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
The USS Lincoln left San Diego in November 2025 and arrived in the Middle East in January 2026, weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The Lincoln’s deployment was extended twice, ABC News reported. Typically, a deployment lasts about seven months.
In all, the ship was deployed for 322 days, The New York Times reported.
The ship was the focus of news reports about stress among the crew affecting their mental health. Reports also cited supply shortages, including food and hygiene products, while it served its mission in the Iran War.
Despite the alleged issues, President Donald Trump said in August that the crew’s deployment was “not nearly enough,” the AP reported.
Eventually, Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the ship had adequate food supplies, but because combat operations limited resupply, meal options were cut from two to one for a short time.
Navy officials told lawmakers that eight sailors attempted suicide during the deployment, but experts say the number is low since the strike group has 6,000 sailors and they were gone for 10 months, the AP reported.
The ship finally stopped in Thailand last month as it returned stateside.
Presidential Unit Citation
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth flew to the carrier on Wednesday to present the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive, typically for significant combat achievement. He will come in on the ship when it docks on Thursday, the Times said.
He said that there were efforts to turn the “Lincoln into some sort of symbol, a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission.”
Hegseth then said that “what makes the U.S. military and the U.S. Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you’re resilient and you overcome — you finish the mission nonetheless.”
He said the Lincoln and its strike group executed 3,693 combat missions, fired 1.37 million pounds of ordnance, launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, shot down 77 one-way attack drones, sank 64 Iranian warships, destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles, and defended against four fast-attack craft and explosive-carrying ships.
USS George Washington and USS Theodore Roosevelt
The USS George Washington replaced it in August. The aircraft assigned to the Lincoln returned to home bases in California and Washington earlier this week, according to ABC News.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is en route to the Middle East, leaving San Diego a week ago for its mission. It is preparing for a long haul, in part because of what happened to the Lincoln.
“Roosevelt is maximizing its load-out of food, retail products and hygiene items before getting underway,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, said according to ABC News.
“The crew is converting available spaces into additional storage, building the ability to remain self-sufficient for longer periods, especially when resupply may be difficult,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman.
They are also adding new entertainment equipment and more durable and extra fitness gear for the quality of life onboard.
“As one carrier returns home, we listen to its sailors and families. We capture what worked and what didn’t, and we make it better the next time,” Prettyman said. “To the Lincoln team, thank you for what you accomplished and for what you taught us, and to the Roosevelt team, we’re doing everything we can to make sure you are ready for the mission. You and your families.”
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