USS Abraham Lincoln docks in Thailand after record-breaking 286-day deployment

After 286 days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln reached Thailand for a five-day port visit intended to give its sailors and Marines time to rest. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand on Wednesday, accompanied by other U.S. Navy vessels.

The Lincoln deployed last November and spent a lengthy period in the Middle East. It took part in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and, according to Democratic lawmakers, set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea. Naval deployments typically last six to nine months, although conflicts can extend them.

“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said in a statement. He called the strike group’s achievements “truly historic” and praised the professionalism and expertise of its members.

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Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge.

By Wednesday afternoon, sailors and Marines in civilian clothes began arriving at a hotel in Pattaya, about 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. The Lincoln’s flight deck carried helicopters, warplanes and F-35 fighter jets. The guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked nearby in Sri Racha, while the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls arrived at Map Tha Phut.

The vessels displayed rust and mottled paint along their waterlines, visible signs of their extended time at sea. Thai officials and Pattaya’s mayor welcomed the visit, which has also prompted hopes for an economic lift in the resort city. Thailand has maintained military ties with the United States for decades, including annual joint exercises and a treaty alliance dating to 1954.

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What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic.