The long-deployed USS Lincoln returns home to San Diego Bay

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returned to its homeport in San Diego on October 8, 2026, concluding a historic and grueling deployment of over 320 days. The mission, primarily focused on operations in the Middle East and the South China Sea, set a naval record for consecutive days at sea without a port call (approximately 265 days). While the strike group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its combat effectiveness against Iranian targets, the deployment was also marked by reports of supply shortages, deteriorating living conditions, and eight suicide attempts among the crew. Thousands of family members, including dozens of fathers meeting their infants for the first time, gathered at Naval Air Station North Island to welcome the approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines home.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returned to its homeport in San Diego on October 8, 2026, concluding a historic and grueling deployment of over 320 days. The mission, primarily focused on operations in the Middle East and the South China Sea, set a naval record for consecutive days at sea without a port call (approximately 265 days). While the strike group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its combat effectiveness against Iranian targets, the deployment was also marked by reports of supply shortages, deteriorating living conditions, and eight suicide attempts among the crew. Thousands of family members, including dozens of fathers meeting their infants for the first time, gathered at Naval Air Station North Island to welcome the approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines home.