The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln returned to Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado on October 8, 2026, completing a grueling 321-day deployment that included a modern-day record of 265 consecutive days at sea without a port call during military operations against Iran.
Combat Operations and Operational Records Set in the Persian Gulf
Operating across the Pacific and the Middle East, the carrier strike group served as a central platform for Operation Epic Fury, a 40-day strike campaign and maritime blockade targeting Iran. According to defense reporting, the Lincoln and its embarked air wing executed 3,693 combat flights, launched 450 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, shot down 77 one-way aerial attack drones, and sank 64 Iranian warships.
William Aduloju, a sailor aboard the aircraft carrier, described his role in the prolonged campaign to reporters. I was here from the start to the end. At least I know I launched every bird off this deck,
said Aduloju, who helped launch thousands of military flights off the vessel’s flight deck.
The mission stretched naval timelines. The ship spent a total of 321 days away from homeport—or 322 days, according to commanding officer Capt. Dan Keeler—marking the second-longest deployment since the end of the Cold War. It fell just short of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s 326-day deployment earlier in the year. Within that timeline, the Lincoln notched a record-breaking 265 uninterrupted days at sea without visiting a port.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Awards Presidential Unit Citation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the aircraft carrier on Wednesday as it approached the California coast to address the crew and award them the Presidential Unit Citation, the military’s highest unit-level decoration.
“I realize I’m the only thing standing between you and home. I also realized I’m the one — and I don’t say this lightly, actually I never say this lightly — but I’m the one who signed that orders book twice to extend you also.”
Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
Hegseth defended the extensions during his remarks to the sailors. But also B., the mission required it, and C., because President Trump had full faith that you would deliver on behalf of the American people, and you did,
Hegseth said, adding that President Donald Trump tracked their activities from day one.
Logistical Strains, Mental Health Reports, and Acting Navy Secretary Disclosures
Despite battlefield successes, the historic deployment proved exceptionally difficult for the thousands of sailors and Marines on board. Families and crew members reported dwindling supplies, including food and water shortages, disrupted mail service, broken plumbing, and limited meal options during stretches of the mission. In April, a photo shared with reporters showed sparse meals consisting of boiled carrots, a dry meat patty, and processed meat.
While Hegseth dismissed reports portraying the ship as dysfunctional, acknowledging only normal operational challenges, official Navy disclosures confirmed severe stress among the crew. In a letter sent to Congress and obtained by news organizations, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged that eight sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group had attempted suicide since the start of the extended deployment tied to the Iran war.
“At any one point, you’ll have individuals experiencing real big highs, real lows, ups and downs.”
Capt. Dan Keeler, commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln
Homecoming Celebrations and Family Reunions in San Diego
As the ship docked at Naval Air Station North Island, the heavy toll of the mission gave way to emotional reunions.
Sailors lined the rails in dress whites behind a red, white, and blue banner as water cannons sprayed arcs of water nearby and family members cheered from the pier. For families who spent months managing households alone through multiple deployment extensions, the arrival brought immense relief alongside lingering exhaustion from a war that weighed heavily on worried relatives.
The Lincoln was relieved in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in late August by the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, allowing the Lincoln to make a port call in Thailand and a logistics stop in Guam before completing its trans-Pacific voyage back to Southern California.