US awards Presidential Unit Citation to USS Abraham Lincoln crew returning from extended Iran war deployment

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth flew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, praising its crew for an extraordinary deployment in support of military operations against Iran and awarding the carrier strike group the Presidential Unit Citation—the nation's highest military unit decoration.

What combat milestones and deployment challenges marked the USS Abraham Lincoln's mission?

The nuclear-powered warship departed California in November 2025 for an intended routine deployment to the Indo-Pacific before being redirected to the Middle East ahead of military operations launched in late February.

Over an extended deployment that included two extension orders and 265 consecutive days at sea without a port call, the carrier strike group conducted nearly 4,000 combat sorties, delivered 1.37 million pounds of precision ordnance, launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and sank 64 Iranian military vessels while enforcing a maritime blockade in the Arabian Sea and Gulf region.

The prolonged deployment led to heightened legislative and media scrutiny over shipboard living conditions and sailors' mental health. A formal acknowledgment from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed that eight service members in the strike group attempted suicide during the tour, though all survived, including a sailor recovered after going overboard in August. Resupply limitations during active combat operations also led to brief reductions in meal options aboard the vessel.

How did Defense Secretary Hegseth address public scrutiny and regional force posture?

In remarks delivered to sailors on the flight deck, Secretary Hegseth rejected media characterizations that framed the Lincoln as a symbol of low morale or operational dysfunction. Hegseth commended the crew's resilience in executing Operation Epic Fury to prevent Iranian nuclear ambitions, asserting that the American public and press should view the ship's historic performance with national pride.

The USS Abraham Lincoln was officially relieved in the Middle East in August by the USS George Washington carrier strike group. With the USS George H.W. Bush also operating in the region and the USS Theodore Roosevelt slated for deployment by late October, Washington maintains a sustained naval presence across Middle Eastern waterways.

According to reporting by The Guardian and Anadolu Agency, the USS Abraham Lincoln is completing its final transit toward its homeport in San Diego, California.