The USS Abraham Lincoln is finally heading back home after a super long nine-month deployment. It’s been sailing for a few days and is expected to arrive in San Diego in a few weeks. The ship was supporting the US war against Iran in the Middle East, but now the USS George Washington has taken its place in the region. The commander of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, visited the Lincoln’s crew to announce their return home, telling them they’ve “delivered a performance for the ages” and it’s time to head back.
The deployment hasn’t been easy, though – the ship has been at sea for over 250 days, and there have been reports of pretty rough conditions on board. Relatives of the sailors and Marines have said that there’s been a lack of supplies and food, and some have even reported concerns about mental health. There have been some incidents, including a sailor going overboard, but the Navy says these aren’t reflective of a broader mental health crisis. The mother of a sailor on the Lincoln told NBC News that her son was struggling, and that he’d lost weight and was hungry due to limited food options.
Despite the challenges, the Navy says that concerns about conditions on the ship have been addressed. Adm. Cooper said that the Lincoln actually has one of the lowest numbers of mental health cases among all the active aircraft carriers. The ship’s extended deployment was due to the ongoing war against Iran, which started with US and Israeli strikes back in February. The Lincoln was originally supposed to be deployed for six or seven months, but it ended up being out at sea for nine months without a port visit since December.