USS Abraham Lincoln leaves Guam after brief respite from lengthy deployment

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln departed Guam on Sunday after a one-day logistics stop that marked its crew’s first time on U.S. soil in nine months following nearly seven months in the Middle East and a 208-day stretch at sea.

The Abraham Lincoln steamed out of Apra Harbor after taking on stores, mail and equipment, Carrier Strike Group 3 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tyler Barker said by email Monday.

“Due to the brief nature of the logistics stop, the crew were afforded on-base liberty to access base services and attend a Navy Entertainment-sponsored concert featuring country music artist Brett Young,” he said.

The carrier and guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. arrived at Guam on Saturday following a port visit to Thailand earlier this month, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet.

The Abraham Lincoln last visited Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, Dec. 11-12 before beginning the longest stretch of its deployment.

Both ships made a five-day port call in Thailand from Sept. 2-6. It was the carrier’s first regular port visit in nearly nine months and followed a patrol that included 208 consecutive days at sea and 200 days in a combat zone.

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

Aircraft carriers typically make port calls every 30 to 45 days for maintenance, resupply and crew rest. The Abraham Lincoln, however, made only a handful during its extended deployment, including the December visit to Guam and a brief logistics stop in Oman on July 27.

The carrier spent most of its deployment 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 unusually long periods at sea raised concerns among some sailors and their families about conditions aboard the carrier.

Sailors described shortages of some foods and drinking water and deteriorating mental health among crew members. Sailors also said at least one service member had been stopped from jumping from the ship.

Thirteen Fleet and Family counselors are now aboard the carrier to “facilitate return and reunion classes,” Barker said.

“The crew and ship remain focused and ready,” he added.

The USS George Washington, homeported at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, arrived in the Central Command area on Aug. 19 to relieve the Abraham Lincoln.

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, amphibious assault ship USS Boxer and additional escort ships were also operating in the Arabian Sea as of Sept. 14, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.