USS Abraham Lincoln Is Returning to the US, Report Says
Topline
The USS Abraham Lincoln is returning to port at San Diego, the New York Times first reported on Thursday, after a marathon nine month deployment in the Middle East that saw combat in the ongoing war in Iran and allegations of a mental health crisis among crewmembers.
The USS Abraham Lincoln operating in the Arabian Sea in April.
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Key Facts
The USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying roughly 5,000 troops, began traveling back to the U.S. on Thursday, the Times reported citing a U.S. official, after another carrier group arrived to replace them.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Central Command posted an image of the USS George Washington, a carrier previously deployed in Asia, operating in the Arabian Sea—one week after the Wall Street Journal first reported the carrier would replace the Abraham Lincoln in supporting ongoing operations in the region.
When reached for comment, U.S. Central Command referred to its commander Admiral Brad Cooper’s statement on Saturday, in which he wished the sailors and Marines onboard “fair winds and following seas on the journey home.”
Key Background
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since November 2025, making its nine-month deployment one of the longest since the Cold War. The carrier was originally deployed in the Pacific, but was moved to the Middle East in January to support the war in Iran, which began on Feb. 28. Multiple military publications have reported on conditions onboard the ship in recent weeks—the Navy Times reported multiple sailors have tried to leap overboard, while Stars and Stripes reported families of crewmembers pressed Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao after receiving reports of deteriorating mental health from their family members. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., later raised concerns about moldy showers, broken toilets, shortages of basic hygienic goods like soap and toothpaste, as well as rationing food—concerns also reported by other outlets that spoke with military family members.
Contra
Despite the allegations of a mental health crisis, Cooper recently said the Abraham Lincoln had “among the lowest number of cases related to mental health” compared to the Navy’s other aircraft carriers. The admiral visited the aircraft carrier as part of a 10-day visit to the Middle East, where he said he spoke with crewmembers onboard the beleaguered vessel. In a guest opinion essay published by the Wall Street Journal, Cooper insisted “issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” but admitted the “crew is tired, but they continue to fire on all cylinders.” President Donald Trump also dismissed concerns about the ship, calling them a “CNN fake report” and insisting he heard a third-hand report from an admiral claiming the ship was “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.”
