U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday that their deployment “has not been easy” as the aircraft carrier prepares to dock after spending more than 260 consecutive days at sea nonstop, setting a Navy record.
There has been widespread concern for months following reports of supply shortages and deteriorating mental health on board. However, in his remarks on Wednesday, Hegseth once again sought to downplay the problems.
Instead, he condemned “a few people in the media” whom he accused of trying to “turn” the Lincoln deployment “into some sort of symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale, or a symbol of a failed mission.”
“I never say this lightly, but I was the one who signed for the orders to be repeated twice to extend you,” Hegseth, who pledged to restore the “warrior ethos” in the U.S. military, told service members Wednesday. “I plead guilty.”
Hegseth announced that those aboard the ship, which is expected to arrive in San Diego later this week, would be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, which the U.S. Army says is awarded to armed forces units “for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group “did what no other carrier strike group has ever done,” he said Wednesday. “We asked you to do more, and you know what you did? You did more. And it wasn’t easy, and restocking wasn’t easy.”
The U.S. carrier, with about 5,000 sailors and Marines on board, departed San Diego in November 2025, initially bound for the Pacific and expected to return in the spring. But after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, the Lincoln was redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. operations in the region.
Its deployment was extended and the aircraft carrier spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea non-stop, setting a naval record as the war disrupted regional resupply routes and traditional hubs. The deployment was described as “one of the most intense and consequential operational deployments of the modern era” by Adm. Brad Cooper, who heads U.S. Central Command.
As Donald Trump struggled to end the war with Iran and the Lincoln’s deployment dragged on, reports emerged over the summer of shortages of food and basic supplies, as well as deteriorating mental health and morale among some crew members, including that two crew members attempted to jump overboard.
At the time, senior Trump administration officials dismissed the reports. Hegseth claimed they had “completely distorted” reality, while Trump, when asked in August whether the deployment had lasted too long, replied: “Not long enough” — a remark that irked some naval families.
Reports of conditions aboard the Lincoln have raised concerns among some military health experts, veterans and families of sailors aboard, and sparked outrage among Democratic lawmakers, several of whom have demanded more information from the Pentagon.
The Lincoln was relieved from deployment later in August, when the aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East to replace it.
But in recent weeks, as the Lincoln returned to San Diego, a new disclosure about the carrier has reignited scrutiny. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged last month that eight service members from the Lincoln and its strike group attempted suicide during the deployment. He was answering questions from Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic senator.
As Hegseth made his Lincoln remarks, Gillibrand criticized him, saying “our military deserves better than a photo op. They deserve real accountability for the failures of this administration.”
Other Democratic lawmakers called on Navy leaders to account for the eight suicide attempts and also asked Navy leaders to detail steps they would take to “protect the mental health and well-being of Sailors during future extended deployments.”
While the Lincoln returns home this week, another aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was recently sent to the Middle East. Navy officials said they were taking steps to avoid similar problems on future deployments, including loading the ship with additional supplies and improving communication with families.
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