The USS Abraham Lincoln will stop in Thailand after spending months at sea in the Middle East, according to multiple reports.
A Thai government official, speaking anonymously, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the vessel will make a brief stop in the Asian country to allow rest and recovery. The official did not provide any additional details.
Military.com reached out to the Navy for confirmation but received no response by publication.
The news comes amid rising concerns about conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has 5,000 sailors and Marines on board and has been at sea for nine months.
It has been in combat with Iran for more than five months, spending 250 days in a row without making land—leaving those on board without the opportunity to see their families and friends.
As the USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly heads to Thailand, the USS George Washington is heading to the Middle East to replace it, according to sources speaking to the Associated Press and CNN in mid-August.
The sources said that officials had previously planned the swap. Officials have not confirmed the date of this swap.
Thailand Port Call
The Royal Thai Navy also said on Tuesday that three ships from a U.S. Navy’s carrier strike group were scheduled to make a short stop in eastern Thailand. They said the ships, which they did not name, would not carry out any military exercises during the visit.
The officials also did not cite the port or their arrival date because of security concerns.
Family members of crew members aboard the vessel also reportedly shared texts with USA TODAY showing that the crew is scheduled to stop in Thailand in early September.
Jefferson Kelley, the father of a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln who previously contacted Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) asking to switch spots with his 20-year-old son, Jackson, as part of a self-described “parent swap,” told Military.com he was not aware of any stops in Thailand—adding that he hasn’t personally asked his son to divulge such information.
“My son texted and said he’s doing OK, and they’re on the way home,” Kelley told Military.com on Wednesday. “He didn’t communicate anything that wasn’t public knowledge. I haven’t heard anything about a stop in Thailand or possible end of deployment.”
Conditions Aboard Lincoln Not Directly Addressed by Hegseth
Sailors have made multiple attempts to jump overboard and are experiencing other issues with their mental health, according to multiple reports.
Naval families have also said there are safety concerns, food shortages, water contamination, and disruption in the mail system on the ship.
The reports about the poor conditions led Democratic lawmakers to criticize the Trump administration and call for an investigation into the matter. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both pushed back on reports.
“We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said on Aug. 14. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.
Read the full article here