Hegseth unveils Presidential Unit Citation to USS Abraham Lincoln crew after lengthy deployment
Hegseth said the carrier strike group completed 3,693 combat missions and launched 450 Tomahawk missiles during the deployment.
- On Thursday, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group returns to San Diego after a 321-day deployment, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Wednesday presentation of the Presidential Unit Citation to the crew.
- Operation Epic Fury necessitated the carrier's record-long deployment, with Hegseth citing 40 days of combat operations and an 'ironclad maritime blockade' against Iran as justification for the unit's historic honor.
- According to the award citation, the strike group executed 3,693 combat sorties, launched 450 Tomahawk missiles, and sank 64 Iranian warships, delivering 1.37 million pounds of ordnance during the mission.
- Navy officials confirmed eight sailors attempted suicide during the deployment, while lawmakers conducted in-person oversight last month following reports of supply shortages and deteriorating conditions aboard the vessel.
- Maintaining U.S. naval presence in the Middle East, the USS George Washington relieved the Lincoln in August as officials weigh deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the region by late October.
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The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is due to arrive at its home port in San Diego tomorrow, October 9, 2026. This will complete one of the longest deployments of an American aircraft carrier in modern history. The ship with a crew of about 5,000 people spent about 321 days at sea
The Lincoln Carrier's Strike Team Used 450 Tomahawk Missiles During the 40 Days of the War with Iran
The U.S. Airforce ships led by USS Abraham Lincoln launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Iranian targets during their 40-day fighting against Iran, reporting to the head of Pentagon Pete Hegset at their return ceremony to San Diego.
'You didn't miss a beat...': Hegseth hails USS Lincoln crew for resilience after tough mission
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday (October 7) and praised the resilience of sailors who endured an extended, wartime deployment that drew scrutiny over suicide attempts on board. The Lincoln, which is due to dock on Thursday (October 8) in San Diego, is the flagship of a carrier strike group that had eight suicide attempts among US sailors during its time at sea, ac…
The aircraft carrier remained on the high seas without porting for 286 days.
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