The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which spent nearly nine months at sea to support US operations against Iran, docks at a port in eastern Thailand to give the crew of about 5,000 an opportunity for beachside rest and recuperation.
The sailors and Marines aboard the nuclear-powered ship had not been on shore for more than 260 days, and reports emerged last month of deteriorating mental health among the crew as well as shortages of key food supplies aboard.
The Navy downplayed any problems, and US President Donald Trump commented that the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment was “not nearly long enough.”
The Lincoln’s crew members debark to spend their free time in nearby Pattaya, a seaside resort city that US military personnel have frequented since the Vietnam War era.
The US Embassy says the ship has been deployed for a total of 286 days since November, and that Thailand is the ship’s first full port stop in that time. Its total uninterrupted time at sea before today’s arrival was 264 days.
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