Hegseth tells USS Lincoln sailors controversial deployment ‘wasn’t easy’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as it returned to the U.S. following a record-breaking deployment of over 300 days at sea. During the visit, Hegseth awarded the crew the Presidential Unit Citation, the military's highest unit award for heroism. The deployment, which involved roughly 5,000 personnel, was extended twice to support operations against Iran in the Middle East. While Hegseth praised the crew's resilience and mission success, the deployment faced scrutiny due to reports of supply shortages and mental health crises, including at least eight suicide attempts among the crew.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as it returned to the U.S. following a record-breaking deployment of over 300 days at sea. During the visit, Hegseth awarded the crew the Presidential Unit Citation, the military's highest unit award for heroism. The deployment, which involved roughly 5,000 personnel, was extended twice to support operations against Iran in the Middle East. While Hegseth praised the crew's resilience and mission success, the deployment faced scrutiny due to reports of supply shortages and mental health crises, including at least eight suicide attempts among the crew.