The USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, is set to return home following a nearly nine-month deployment and 200+ days without a port call, the acting Navy secretary confirmed on Friday. The carrier’s return comes as families of sailors and lawmakers raise concerns about conditions aboard the vessel, including supply shortages and mental health issues.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao stated in a post on X that the Lincoln will return as part of a planned rotation, adding that a small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life. The announcement follows Democratic and Republican lawmakers calling for oversight and testimony from Navy officials.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, citing reports that the Lincoln has been deployed for more than 250 days without coming ashore, setting a record for consecutive days at sea. Blumenthal demanded the Navy account for conditions aboard the carrier.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired Air Force brigadier general, told Face the Nation that Congress should have oversight and called for the secretary of the Navy or service chief to testify. Bacon, who served on an aircraft carrier in 1996, acknowledged that suicides and sailors jumping overboard have occurred during past deployments, though he did not specify whether such incidents had been reported on the Lincoln.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a former Marine, criticized the Trump administration’s leadership, attributing the carrier’s extended deployment to poor planning and the ongoing conflict with Iran. Gallego told ABC News’ This Week that the administration did not plan for the war or its escalation, adding that extended deployments like the Lincoln’s are straining morale. He warned that such conditions could discourage service members from re-enlisting.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed reports of poor conditions as “completely misrepresented”, while President Donald Trump stated that the deployment length is “not nearly long enough.” Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that extended carrier deployments are common, though he did not address the Lincoln’s specific circumstances.
The USS George Washington is scheduled to replace the Lincoln in the Middle East, according to a U.S. official. The Lincoln’s return follows growing scrutiny from families and lawmakers, who have raised concerns about mental health support and living conditions during the deployment.