USS Abraham Lincoln Heads Home After Extended Nine-Month Deployment

The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading back to San Diego after an extended nine-month deployment that kept the aircraft carrier at sea for more than 250 days.

A U.S. official told NBC News Thursday that the Lincoln has been sailing toward home for several days and is expected to arrive in San Diego within a few weeks.

The carrier had been operating in the Middle East, supporting the U.S. war against Iran. As the Lincoln leaves the region, the USS George Washington arrived Wednesday to begin its own deployment, according to U.S. Central Command.

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper recently visited the Lincoln's crew to announce their return home. In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Cooper said he told the sailors and Marines they had "delivered a performance for the ages" and were going home.

The Lincoln has about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.

The lengthy deployment has also prompted concerns from relatives of crew members about conditions aboard the carrier. Some family members have described shortages of food and supplies and expressed concerns about the mental health of sailors.

There have also been several man-overboard incidents, including one in which a sailor was rescued, according to U.S. officials. However, a U.S. official said the incidents have not been viewed as evidence of a broad mental health crisis aboard the carrier.

One sailor's mother told NBC News that her son had expected to be deployed for about six months. When she heard from him about a month after the February 28 strikes, she said he told her he was hungry and losing weight. He also said the ship's onboard commissary was limiting purchases.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rejected reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln, saying they have been "completely misrepresented."

President Donald Trump has also dismissed concerns about the length of the deployment, saying last week that it was "not nearly long enough."

With the Lincoln now heading home, the USS George Washington is taking its place in the region.

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