USS Abraham Lincoln Begins Return Journey After Nine-Month Middle East Deployment
The carrier and its roughly 5,000 crew members left the region on 20 August after supporting operations against Iran. The USS George Washington has taken its place.
Washington1 min read
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The USS Abraham Lincoln began its voyage home to San Diego on 20 August 2026 after a nine-month deployment in the Middle East.
A U.S. official confirmed the departure. The ship had spent nearly the entire period at sea supporting U.S. operations linked to the conflict with Iran. Its crew numbers about 5,000 sailors.
The USS George Washington arrived in the region on Wednesday and began operating under U.S. Central Command control. It replaces the Abraham Lincoln as the carrier presence in the area.
The Abraham Lincoln left San Diego on 21 November 2025. Its original schedule called for a return in May, but the mission was extended. Brief stops for supplies occurred in Guam and Oman. The remaining transit home covers roughly 13,000 miles and is expected to take four to five weeks.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited the ship and informed the crew they were heading home. He described their performance as exceptional after more than 260 days at sea, thousands of aircraft flights and substantial ordnance expenditure.
Reports in recent weeks had raised concerns about crew conditions, including morale and mental health. CENTCOM stated that the ship maintained high reenlistment rates and that the sailors and Marines remained resilient.
The Navy continues to keep about 20 warships in the Middle East outside the Persian Gulf, including two carrier strike groups, an amphibious ready group and destroyers enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports, now in its 38th day.
The extended deployment of the Abraham Lincoln reflected the sustained demand for carrier air power and presence during the ongoing conflict. The return allows the crew rest and the ship maintenance after continuous operations.
Families of crew members had pressed for attention to conditions on board. The formal announcement of the homeward journey closes one of the longest continuous carrier deployments since the Cold War era.
The arrival of the George Washington ensures continuity of the carrier presence while the Abraham Lincoln group returns to its home port.
