Hegseth to Welcome Home USS Lincoln Crew After More Than 10 Months at Sea
The aircraft carrier was plagued with concerns around food quality, a lack of supplies, and mental health crises among its crew.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to personally welcome the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln back to the United States on Wednesday, after a deployment that lasted over 10 months at sea. The aircraft carrier initially departed from San Diego in November 2025, with the intention of serving in the Indo-Pacific region. However, it was later redirected to the Middle East as the U.S. became involved in a conflict with Iran.
As the crew returned home on Thursday, they faced numerous challenges, including substandard living conditions, poor-quality food, and mental health issues among sailors. Several sailors had reportedly jumped overboard due to the deteriorating circumstances aboard the ship. Despite these concerns, both President Donald Trump and Hegseth downplayed the issues, claiming that the deployment had not been excessively prolonged.
However, the Department of Defense confirmed that they had not observed any increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts among the crew. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand criticized the administration for dismissing the sailors' and their families' sacrifices, stating that the president's dismissal of their concerns was unacceptable.
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