USS Abraham Lincoln heads to Thailand after months at sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a US Navy aircraft carrier that has been at sea for over 250 days, is set to visit Thailand in early September, according to crew members' text messages revealed to USA Today. The carrier departed from San Diego on November 21 last year and has maintained a continuous presence at sea, surpassing the modern-era record of 200 days without docking.

Initially scheduled to return home in May, the ship was redirected to the Middle East in January to support the Iran war, which began on February 28, thereby prolonging its deployment beyond 260 days.

Upon completion of its current mission, the USS George Washington, which had been deployed from the Asia-Pacific region, is now operating in the Middle East, taking over the Lincoln's position. However, it remains uncertain when the Abraham Lincoln will return to the US or if it will make a stopover at a port during its journey back, though the travel duration is typically over a month.

This development leaves the United States without an aircraft carrier in the Pacific region for the first time in years, a situation exacerbated by China's growing assertiveness towards neighboring nations such as the Philippines and Japan, coupled with drill exercises near the Scarborough Shoal.

The extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln has raised concerns within the US military and political spheres. Analysts have noted that prolonged operations like the Iran war are straining military carriers and their crews, a phenomenon echoed by the USS Gerald R. Ford, which underwent an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam War, also supporting operations against Iran and Maduro's capture in Venezuela.

Reports of deteriorating conditions on the Lincoln, including food and supply shortages, plumbing issues, and worsening mental health among the roughly 5,000 personnel on board, have surfaced, prompting family members and military-focused outlets to express their worries. One sailor from the Lincoln’s air wing reportedly jumped overboard in early August, was rescued, and later transferred off the ship for medical treatment; while other incidents have not been officially confirmed, triggering a request from Senate Democrats, including Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, for an inquiry with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Navy into supply shortages, water contamination, and mental health support on the ship.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, dominated by Democrats, has called for a hearing with Pentagon leadership to examine the impact of extended deployments during the Iran war. Hegseth, however, dismissed the reports as "completely misrepresented," asserting that the Navy guarantees every ship and crew receives necessary provisions.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated that a limited number of mental health cases were addressed without any loss of life and that meal plans were modified without any dish being overlooked. When questioned about the concerns of the families of the crew, Trump dismissed them, claiming the deployment did not last as long as it should have.