The crew expressed relief as they returned from a record-breaking 265-day deployment that made conditions on board the ship tense.
Published October 9, 2026
The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has returned to its home port after a 322-day deployment, including a record 265 consecutive days at sea, contributing to the US-Israel war against Iran.
The ship returned to North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, California, on Thursday, where the crew was greeted by family and friends.
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“It feels great,” Abel Ramirez, 20, told The Associated Press, adding that his parents drove from Texas to pick him up. “There was a time when I never thought I would be eliminated.”
The record deployment of the aircraft carrier Lincoln became emblematic of a larger critique of the U.S. war effort, which has dragged on since February with no clear end in sight and has strained U.S. military stockpiles.
The prolonged deployment led to a series of news reports drawing attention to deteriorating conditions, food shortages, and reports of a series of suicide attempts by the crew.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the sailors on Wednesday, accusing the media of trying to make the ship “a symbol of dysfunction, a symbol of low morale, a symbol of mission failure.”
President Donald Trump and his administration officials have frequently criticized news organizations for critical coverage of the war against Iran. Trump himself called reports about the USS Lincoln “fake news.”
“The Lincoln has been in service for quite some time,” he said in the Oval Office on Aug. 17. “I know people who are on the Lincoln, and they say it’s beautifully maintained and well-cared for.”
Earlier that month, when confronted with the length of time the USS Lincoln had spent at sea without a port call, President Trump quipped that its deployment was “not long enough.”
The report on the psychological toll of the USS Lincoln comes as polls show low support for war against Iran among American voters.
A poll released Thursday by the Pew Research Center found that 65% of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the war, while 33% approve.
The war has also fueled concerns about the cost of living ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Since the war began, Iran has blocked commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for trade in fuel, fertilizer and other goods.
Sailors returning home aboard the USS Lincoln said they were looking forward to fresh meals and time with their families.
Alma Solano Velez said her husband, one of the U.S. service members on board, shared with her a list of foods he wanted to eat during his 10-month deployment. Among other things, there was oxtail, barbecue chicken, broccoli, and shrimp empanadas.
She added that he talked about “lack of food and showers” and was looking forward to seeing her 4-year-old daughter.
