USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Thailand for first full port visit after 286 days at sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Wednesday for its first regular port call in nearly nine months during a patrol that’s included 208 consecutive days at sea, 200 days in a combat zone and concerns about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.

The ship steamed into Laem Chabang, a port just north of the resort city of Pattaya, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a news release Wednesday.

“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” Rear Adm. Robert Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said in the release. “It also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand.”

Two ships accompanying the carrier — the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls — arrived the same day at the nearby Thai ports of Sriracha and Map T Phut, respectively, the Navy said.

The Abraham Lincoln’s visit is strictly for crew rest and recreation, with no joint military operations planned, Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Surasant Kongsiri said last week, according to an Aug. 26 report by the Bangkok Post.

The 7th Fleet has acknowledged a request for information about the visit, including whether official or community engagement are planned.

The carrier and its crew of approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines have been at sea nearly continuously since departing San Diego on Nov. 21.

The Abraham Lincoln stopped at Guam on Dec. 11-12 and made an even shorter stop at Oman on July 7. Its longest uninterrupted stretch at sea lasted 208 days.

Aircraft carriers typically make port calls every 30 to 45 days for maintenance, resupply and crew rest.

The Abraham Lincoln also spent 200 days in the U.S. Central Command area, where its strike group supported combat operations against Iran and a maritime blockade of Iranian ports in the Arabian Sea.

The prolonged deployment raised concerns among some sailors and their families about conditions aboard the carrier.

Stars and Stripes reported Aug. 11 that sailors described shortages of some food and drinking water and deteriorating mental health among members of the crew.

At least one service member was stopped from jumping from the ship, sailors aboard the Abraham Lincoln told Stars and Stripes for that report.

The carrier was relieved in the Middle East by the USS George Washington, which arrived in the Central Command area on Aug. 19.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group and Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are also operating in the region, according to the latest USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.

U.S. forces launched fresh strikes against Iran on Wednesday morning following recent attempted attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. service members in the region, Central Command said on X.