The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which was deployed to the Middle East amid the Iran war, is heading to Thailand for a port visit after spending 250 days at sea, according to USA Today.
USA Today reported on 24 August that sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln had informed their families that the carrier was scheduled to make a port call in Thailand in early September.
One sailor aboard the carrier sent a message to a relative on 18 August, which was obtained by USA Today, asking the family to help find a good hotel in Thailand for his stay.
In a subsequent exchange, a relative told another family member that she was excited for him because he had been talking about visiting Thailand for a long time.
A US Navy spokesperson, however, told USA Today that the Navy could not comment on future operations or ship movements due to operational security.
The report said the carrier was heading home after US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, announced that the USS George Washington had arrived in the Arabian Sea.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has attracted significant attention after Democrats and military families raised concerns about conditions aboard the carrier, including the mental health of its sailors. One sailor was reportedly involved in an incident in which he jumped overboard.
Other sailors have reportedly told relatives that the showers were cold, toilets were clogged and food supplies were inadequate.
The USS Abraham Lincoln departed Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, on 21 November 2025. Its crew had initially expected to remain deployed for six months.
According to US Navy records, the carrier made only one port visit, to Guam, in mid-December. This meant the ship remained at sea for more than 250 consecutive days during a nine-month deployment.
The stretch is believed to have set a record for an aircraft carrier going without a port call, based on a review of port-call announcements and previous records.
It remains unclear exactly when the carrier will dock in Thailand.
US Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the carrier was expected to make a port call within the next few weeks after spending a record amount of time at sea.
Reed said the ship was scheduled to return to port in the coming weeks.