The USS Abraham Lincoln will return to its California homeport after a 320-day deployment that raised concerns over degrading sailor morale and mental health.
The ship left Naval Station San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, and joined military operations in the Middle East after the U.S. launched the Iran war alongside Israel on Feb. 28.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will greet sailors when they set foot on American soil for the first time in over 10 months.
“Secretary Hegseth will welcome the USS Lincoln home tomorrow following their deployment,” the Defense Department said. “Secretary Hegseth will also speak to the crew on the ship, participate in PT and eat lunch with warfighters in the area.”
On Aug. 6, families of loved ones aboard the Lincoln told military officials at a town hall meeting in San Diego, California, that they were concerned about possibilities of self-harm and food shortages.
Military Times reported several days later that two service members attempted to jump overboard, though the circumstances that led to their attempts were unclear.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed in a Sept. 22 letter to Congress that eight sailors attempted suicide aboard ships from the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group since the beginning of its deployment.
Sailors and Navy mental health professionals told Military Times that the psychiatric assistance system meant to help sailors aboard carriers is strained and unable to meet the demands of prolonged combat deployments.
The Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Sept. 2 for its first scheduled port visit in over 260 days.
The ship had previously pulled into Guam on Dec. 11, 2025.
When the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier pulls into port on Wednesday, it will be several days shy of the USS Gerald Ford’s 326-day record for longest post-Vietnam carrier deployment that it notched earlier in 2026.
Riley Ceder is a Navy reporter at Military Times, where he covers issues directly affecting service members and their families, as well as breaking news.
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