The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group departed Thailand after a five-day port visit to Pattaya.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group set sail from Thailand on Sunday. The aircraft carrier arrived at Laem Chabang, north of Pattaya, on Wednesday.
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This visit marked the first regular port call in nearly nine months for the crew of approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines. Before arriving in Thailand, the carrier spent 200 days in the U.S. Central Command area supporting combat operations against Iran and a maritime blockade of Iranian ports. The ship had been at sea nearly continuously since departing San Diego on November 21. During the prolonged deployment, sailors reported shortages of food and drinking water and deteriorating mental health. The USS Abraham Lincoln was relieved in the Middle East by the USS George Washington on August 19. The carrier and its strike group, which included the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, will now conduct routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on its journey back to the U.S.