The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to U.S. soil at Naval Base Guam after a deployment that began when it left San Diego on November 21, 2025. The carrier conducted live-fire drills in the South China Sea, transited the Strait of Malacca amid a Middle East buildup and operated in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area as the conflict that began on February 28 unfolded. The deployment lasted roughly 286 days at sea, raised concerns about maintenance and morale for some crew members, and included high-profile port calls in Thailand.
USS Abraham Lincoln Returns to U.S. Soil After Nine-Month Deployment, Arrives in Guam
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier departs Laem Chabang Port on September 06, 2026 in Si Racha, Thailand.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), accompanied by Carrier Air Wing 9 and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank Petersen, has returned to U.S. soil, arriving Saturday at Naval Base Guam, the U.S. 7th Fleet said. The visit is the strike group's first time back on American territory in 303 days.
Deployment Overview
The Lincoln departed its home port in San Diego on November 21, 2025, for a deployment originally focused on the Indo-Pacific. Early in the deployment, U.S. Navy imagery showed the carrier conducting live-fire exercises in the South China Sea in early January. Open-source tracking later recorded the ship transiting west through the Strait of Malacca amid a broader U.S. military buildup tied to rising tensions in the Middle East.
As clashes with Iran escalated, U.S. military statements placed the Abraham Lincoln within the U.S. Fifth Fleet's area of operations. The carrier became a prominent element of U.S. naval posture after the conflict that began on February 28. According to the Navy, the deployment amounted to about 286 days at sea before the Lincoln was relieved in the Middle East by the USS George Washington.
Port Visits and Shore Leave
During the deployment the carrier made several high-profile port calls, including a widely shared visit to Pattaya, Thailand, where thousands of personnel took shore leave. The Lincoln departed Laem Chabang port on September 6 after a five-day stop and headed back toward the United States. The current Guam visit follows a longer port call there in August 2024.
Conditions Aboard and Crew Welfare
The extended mission prompted reports of maintenance issues, low morale and intermittent internet outages for some crew members. In August, the spouse of a senior officer told Newsweek that families had organized care-package efforts after reports suggested supplies were running low for some sailors. The Navy has said crew members in Guam "will be afforded on-base liberty," and that there will be no media availability during the visit.
Official Note: Newsweek said it contacted the Pentagon for comment.
For inquiries about this story, Newsweek listed Edward Pearcey as the editor to contact.
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