The USS Abraham Lincoln is set to dock in Thailand next week, as announced by a Thai official on Tuesday. This news follows the aircraft carrier’s extended deployment in the Middle East, where reports indicated challenges related to mental health and deteriorating living conditions aboard the vessel, according to Reuters.
Having left the Middle East on Saturday, the USS Abraham Lincoln has established a modern record for consecutive days at sea, exceeding 200 days without a port visit, as noted by some Democratic lawmakers.
Naval missions typically last between six to nine months, but they can be extended during conflict scenarios.
The carrier, which houses around 5,000 sailors and Marines, will spend time in Thailand “for rest and recreation following the long journey at sea,” the unnamed official stated.
Spokespersons for the Thai Navy and the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
The vessel departed its home port of San Diego in November and was later redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations related to the conflict with Iran.
On Thursday, the U.S. military announced the arrival of a new aircraft carrier in the Middle East, which is replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Military publications, including “Navy Times” and “Stars and Stripes,” reported this month on incidents of attempted suicides and a decline in morale aboard the Lincoln, which has been described as a “floating prison” due to conditions on the ship.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that these reports “misrepresented the conditions aboard the vessel” completely.
Thailand is the only U.S. partner in mainland Southeast Asia, being a treaty ally since 1954 and a major non-NATO ally since 2003. The armed forces of both countries maintain close relations.
