USS Abraham Lincoln returns to San Diego after historic deployment

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is on its way back to its home port of San Diego, California, after a nearly nine-month deployment that included extended combat operations in the Middle East and grew to be one of the longest uninterrupted periods at sea in modern naval history. The carrier, carrying approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines, began its return journey this week after being relieved by the USS George Washington, which arrived in the Middle East on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command.

The Lincoln departed its San Diego home port on November 21, 2025. After an initial period supporting operations in the Pacific and South China Sea, it shifted focus to the Middle East in January, where it supported ongoing military operations connected to the conflict with Iran. Its deployment was extended in May with no initial end date, and by the time it left the region, the crew had spent more than 270 days at sea, including a record-setting stretch of nearly 275 consecutive days without a port call. Aside from brief stops in Guam in December and Oman for supplies, the sailors and Marines were aboard the ship for the vast majority of the deployment.