The USS Abraham Lincoln docked in San Diego on Thursday, ending a deployment that stretched from November 2025 into September 2026. The nuclear-powered carrier had been rerouted from the South China Sea to the Middle East to support US-Israeli strikes against Iran that began in late February. Families lined the quayside to reunite with servicemembers who had been out of reach for nearly a year. The ship had only made a brief port call in Thailand in early September before heading home.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the vessel the day prior to announce a presidential unit citation for the strike group. He cited "extraordinary heroism against enemy forces," highlighting 10,000 total sorties and 23,000 combat flight hours. Hegseth claimed no other carrier strike group had ever accomplished such a mission profile. The award stands in stark contrast to the welfare concerns raised by military families and lawmakers in August. Those concerns included reported suicide attempts and logistical shortages aboard the ship.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao detailed the human cost in a letter to a lawmaker last month. The administration acknowledged eight suicide attempts within the carrier strike group but confirmed no fatalities resulted. One sailor went overboard in early August and was recovered quickly. Another attempted to jump in March but was stopped by shipmates. Regarding food supplies, the Navy admitted that limited resupply options during combat reduced main entree choices from two to one for a short period. The letter described overall supplies as "adequate."
Alba Solano, whose partner served on the ship, told AFP that communication was a struggle throughout the mission. Phone calls failed to work, and video calls remained glitchy until the crew reached Thailand. "He could hear us, but we couldn't hear him," Solano said. She described the family's nervousness and excitement as they awaited reunion. Patricia Harmon, an Army veteran waiting for her sailor son, noted the lack of outlets for stress. "His first word [in a text] was: 'Land!'" Harmon said. The arrival marks the end of a period marked by intense combat and internal strain. The Navy has not announced further reviews of the crew's welfare protocols.