Reuters reported on October 7 that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to the aircraft carrier 'Abraham Lincoln' that day and boarded its deck, praising the resilience of the sailors. These sailors had undergone an extended wartime deployment, which attracted attention due to a attempted suicide incident that occurred on the ship.
According to the Navy, the USS Lincoln is scheduled to dock in San Diego on the 8th and will be the flagship of the aircraft carrier strike group. There have been eight attempted suicides by US sailors during the ship's deployment at sea. According to the Pentagon, the ship remained out of port for over 260 consecutive days during its deployment, setting a record.
In his speech, Hagersey accused the journalists of trying to portray the crew of the USS Lincoln as symbols of “dysfunction” or failure in their mission, rather than heroes in conflict. He also read out Trump’s praise for their achievements in the war against Iran.
Hagel said that the achievements of the ‘Lincoln’ include: sinking 64 Iranian military ships, destroying 21 anti-ship cruise missiles, conducting 3,693 combat flights, launching 450 Tomahawk ground attack cruise missiles, and deploying 1.37 million pounds of ammunition against Iran.
Hageth said that despite the fast pace of the combat operations, the ship “experienced no casualties, nor did any aircraft accidents.”
Hagesser said to the crew, “The American army, the United States Navy, and all those sailors are different because you can adapt, have resilience, and overcome difficulties—to complete tasks no matter what. Yes, it’s difficult. That’s exactly why you’re here. What you do is a difficult task.”
It is reported that the deployment period for the U.S. Navy typically lasts from six to nine months, but can be extended during times of conflict. The long deployment periods have long been a source of mental health problems for the U.S. Navy.
In August, after reports of low morale and shortages of supplies on board the ship, Trump was asked if he thought the deployment time for the USS Lincoln had been too long. Trump responded, “No, no, no. It wasn’t far enough long.”
Hughes admitted that there were some challenges on the ship, and said that “replenishing supplies is not easy.” Before returning to port, Hughes joked that he was “the only obstacle between you and your families,” and also the person who had signed several orders to extend the deployment.
Hergeseth told the crew, “You should see your families, and do so as soon as possible.” He added that he just wanted to “see them for a moment on the way back, while entering the port, just to say thank you.”
Trump is weighing his next moves against Iran, including whether to intensify attacks before or after the elections. At the same time, he is pushing for a naval blockade to exert economic pressure on Iran, in order to force it to reach an agreement to end the conflict.
