ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday, offering a defiant defense of the carrier strike group as it concludes a record-breaking, wartime deployment.
The Lincoln, which is scheduled to dock in San Diego on Thursday, has spent more than 260 consecutive days at sea without a port call—a duration that has drawn intense scrutiny. The deployment has been marked by significant combat operations against Iran, but also by internal challenges, including eight reported suicide attempts among the crew and widespread concerns over morale and supply shortages.
Addressing the sailors on the flight deck, Hegseth explicitly challenged media coverage of the ship’s mission. He accused reporters of attempting to frame the crew as symbols of military dysfunction rather than as heroes of the conflict. Presenting a citation from President Donald Trump, Hegseth lauded the strike group’s operational record, which he claimed included the destruction of 64 Iranian warships and 21 anti-ship cruise missiles. According to the Defense Secretary, the Lincoln successfully launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles and deployed 1.37 million pounds of ordnance without suffering a single casualty or aircraft mishap.
“What makes the US military and the US Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you’re resilient and you overcome,” Hegseth told the crew. “Yes, it’s hard. That’s why you’re here. You do difficult and hard things.”
The carrier’s return comes at a volatile moment in the seven-month-old war with Iran. The conflict has caused significant disruption to global energy markets and has emerged as a primary point of contention ahead of the November midterm elections. With the war costing an estimated $3 billion monthly, the strain on the economy and rising energy prices have left the Trump administration and congressional Republicans on the defensive.
President Trump has maintained a firm stance on the length of such deployments, previously dismissing suggestions that the Lincoln had been kept at sea too long by stating it was “not nearly long enough.” While Hegseth acknowledged the hardships faced by the crew—noting specifically that “there wasn’t an easy resupply”—he emphasized that the strike group had been instrumental in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
“You have changed the arc of history,” Hegseth said.
As the ship prepares to return to port, the administration faces critical decisions regarding the next phase of the war. With a naval blockade currently in effect to increase economic pressure on Tehran, Vice President JD Vance recently indicated that the US would require a “meaningful” reduction in Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity before considering an end to hostilities. For the crew of the Lincoln, however, the immediate future is focused on the long-awaited reunion with their families after a deployment that has pushed both the sailors and the military’s endurance to the limit.
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