Videos show USS Lincoln service members reuniting with loved ones after historic deployment

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group returned to their home port in San Diego, California, after a record 321-day deployment. The carrier had been supporting the US war against Iran in the Persian Gulf. Families of servicemen and women lined the quayside to welcome home loved ones they had not seen for almost a year.

According to CBS News, the aircraft carrier and other ships in the strike group were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest valor award. The deployment included a record-setting 265 days at sea without a port visit, the longest in Naval history. During this time, communication with loved ones was difficult, with phone calls and video calls often glitchy or non-functional, as reported by Gulf News and New Straits Times.

The deployment took a toll on the crew, with reports of stress, mental health concerns, and shortages of food and hygiene products. According to ABC News, one sailor described the deployment as "very tough," and an information systems technician said it was the hardest mission she had been on. The Navy reported that eight sailors had attempted suicide during the deployment. The crew included nearly 60 fathers who were meeting their babies for the first time, born during the deployment.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, Gulf News, New Straits Times, ABC News (US), Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.