USS Abraham Lincoln heads to Thailand after more than 250 days at sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln is about to bring one of the longest deployments by a U.S. aircraft carrier in recent decades to an end. A Thai official told Reuters that, after spending more than 250 days virtually without a port call and months in the Middle East amid the war with Iran, the ship will make a stop in Thailand in early September.

The stop will provide a brief respite for the nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Thailand’s Navy described the visit as a routine port call intended to allow personnel to rest and recuperate, as well as receive logistical support, with no military exercises planned during the stay.

The Thai official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the Lincoln would arrive next week so its crew could rest after the prolonged journey. Thailand’s Navy did not provide a specific date, citing security concerns.

The information aligns with messages shared by family members of crew members and obtained by USA TODAY. In one message, dated Aug. 18, a female sailor asked a relative to send her recommendations for hotels in Thailand. In another exchange, a family member expressed excitement that one of the crew members would finally get to visit the country. The U.S. Navy did not confirm the details of the stop and has said it does not provide information about future movements or operations for operational security reasons.

The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego, California, on Nov. 21, 2025. Originally, the crew expected to be deployed for about six months, but the aircraft carrier was later sent to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations during the war with Iran.

During the deployment, the ship made only one stop in Guam, in mid-December. Since then, it has spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea, a period that made its mission a record for a U.S. aircraft carrier without another port call.

The Lincoln had gone more than 200 days without a port visit, and the deployment exceeded the usual length of naval deployments, which typically last between six and nine months, although they can be extended during conflicts.

The journey back to the United States began after the USS George Washington arrived in the Arabian Sea. The Lincoln is now heading toward San Diego and, according to reports, could take between four and five weeks to reach the U.S. mainland if there are no unexpected changes.

Conditions aboard raise concerns

The lengthy time at sea has also drawn attention to the crew’s living conditions. Family members of service members have reported problems including cold showers, clogged toilets and shortages of some supplies, as well as disruptions to the mail system and intermittent availability of hygiene products and fresh food.

CNN and Navy Times also reported suicide attempts and declining morale among crew members. Those concerns led two Democratic senators, Patty Murray and Chris Coons, to ask the Pentagon for an independent strategic review of conditions aboard the Lincoln and other ships deployed in connection with the conflict with Iran.

The lawmakers asked that the review examine operational readiness, staffing, quality of life, mental health, culture aboard the ships and communication with families. They also requested recommendations for improving future extended deployments.

The concerns are not limited to the Lincoln. The USS Gerald R. Ford also recently completed an exceptionally long deployment and suffered a fire that began in its laundry department and took about 30 hours to extinguish, leaving roughly 600 sailors without access to their berths. Another destroyer, the USS Benfold, spent four days without power in the South China Sea because of an engineering failure.

CNN also reported that aircraft carrier deployments exceeding the Navy’s seven-month target have become more common in recent years.

Hegseth acknowledges the toll of the deployment

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged Monday that the Lincoln’s mission had been difficult. During a visit to a defense contractor in Wisconsin, he said sailors had not had as many port calls as anyone would have liked and that the deployment had lasted longer than most.

“It’s been a tough deployment,” Hegseth said, while praising the crew for carrying out its mission in what he described as an especially demanding environment. He also said he looked forward to personally welcoming the sailors when they returned to the United States.

Hegseth has previously defended conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, while Navy officials have praised the crew’s endurance. However, complaints from family members and the call for an independent investigation continue to raise questions about the toll the extended deployment has taken on sailors and their families.

As the Lincoln heads back to the United States, the family of one of its crew members is also facing an immigration crisis. Luis Manuel Avilés Roa, the father of Florida service member Joshua Avilés, was detained by immigration agents during a traffic stop in Key West. The 48-year-old Nicaraguan has lived in the United States for 19 years and had a driver’s license, Social Security number and work permit while awaiting a decision on his permanent residency application. The Department of Homeland Security said he had entered the country illegally and would remain in ICE custody while deportation proceedings move forward.

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