Long-Deployed USS Lincoln Returns to Home Port in San Diego

SAN DIEGO—Emotions ran high in San Diego as thousands of sailors and airmen aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln returned home from a nearly year-long deployment in the Middle East.

Cheers from loved ones could be heard blocks away as the ship approached, with sailors standing on deck as the massive aircraft carrier approached the pier at Coronado Island on Oct. 8.

Thousands of sailors and Marines arrived home on U.S. soil, many in tears and shrieking with joy. They met spouses with kisses and family and friends with hugs, including new fathers seeing their babies for the first time.

Rear Adm. Robert Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, praised the officers, sailors, and Marines as they left the ship.

“They met every challenge with professionalism, quiet resilience, and sustained excellence. I could not be prouder to serve alongside them,” Loughran told reporters at a press conference.

“Of course, this could not have been possible without the love and support of our friends and families back home.”

He acknowledged  “the extraordinary burden” the mission put on families for more than 10 months.

“Their patience, sacrifice, and steadfast support are the foundation of every mission we accomplish. We are deeply grateful for their service and their sacrifice, and it is an honor to finally say we are home,” he said.

The deployment began Nov. 21, 2025, and lasted 322 days, including a 208-day stretch at sea, U.S. Navy Capt. Daniel Keeler, the ship’s commander, told reporters at an Oct. 8 press conference as the crew deboarded the vessel.

“But the most important statistic, the one that I am most proud of, is zero lost aircraft, zero combat damage, zero lives lost. Every single sailor and Marine that left on this deployment is going home. That legendary performance by this team,” he said. “It’s historic.”

Mission success depends on the love and support of family and friends at home, he added, thanking mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children, and the community.

The Mission

In response to Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in July, the Abraham Lincoln supported strikes against Iran’s coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites.

The carrier traveled more than 93,000 nautical miles, conducted 72 replenishments at sea, and received more than 20.5 million gallons of aviation fuel during the mission. The crew also supported more than 13,000 air sorties from Carrier Air Wing 9 totaling 28,500 flight hours.

The Carrier Strike Group spearheaded the Navy’s role in Operation Epic Fury on the southern Iranian coast with the Abraham Lincoln at its center, according to a federal government press release.

Following the April 8 ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the strike group enforced a maritime blockade against Iranian-flagged vessels in the Northern Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman to stop the flow of Iranian oil.

With “Operation Epic Fury” stenciled on the side of the ship, other symbols display how many inbound enemy missiles, drones, and boats the strike group intercepted and destroyed.

Morale and Conditions

In response to reporters’ questions about low morale and conditions aboard the ship in the spring, Keeler said Marines and sailors will get any care they need over the next few months.

“I understand that a lot of the creature comforts, quality of life issues that you may have heard of back home that got a lot of news in the July time frame. Almost all of those things occurred, I would say, in March and April, while we were engaged in active combat operations against a very determined foe,” he said.

When pressed on the issue, Keeler admitted morale sank when, about two months into what was supposed to be a six-month Western Pacific patrol mission, it turned into a major combat operation, he said.

“For most of my sailors, this was their first time away from home—their first deployment—their first experience in combat. I understand the anxiety that that might have caused, but I can tell you this: Our team of professionals on the ship led every single one of those sailors through that experience, and the great majority responded like sailors always do, with honor, courage, and commitment,” he said.

The crew was told the ship could run thin on some supplies when combat operations started, but there was always enough food, Keeler said.

 “I had all the supplies I needed to conduct combat,” Keeler said. “We served four meals a day—14,000 to 16,000 a day to the entire crew. I never missed a meal. They got a hot meal if they wanted it.”

When asked about reports on the attempted suicides on the ship, Keeler stressed no lives were lost.

 “I deployed with five chaplains and a very well-staffed mental health team. We got our sailors any care they needed and got them back in the fight when it was appropriate,” he said. “We want the suicide attempt number to be zero.”

 Supply Chains

Loughran said many valuable lessons were learned about strengthening supply chains in different parts of the world for future combat zones.

“We pivoted to a much more extended supply chain, and not only were we extending our supply lines, but we were increasing rapidly the number of forces in theater. And every single ship that was deployed over there met its mission while we were continuing to adjust our game plan,” he said.

Headed to Dry Dock

 The ship will soon head to dry dock in Bremerton, Washington, for a “very lengthy overhaul.” The repairs are scheduled maintenance planned for years, he said, noting that the USS Ronald Reagan recently underwent the same process.

The nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln, commissioned Nov. 11, 1989, has served for more than 36 years, supporting evacuation efforts in the Philippines after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, as well as Operations Restore Hope, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Epic Fury.