Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commended the resilience of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for completing a record-breaking, continuous wartime deployment of over 260 days without a port call.
Speaking on the carrier's flight deck, Hegseth addressed reports of eight suicide attempts among sailors during the extended mission, attributing the challenges to the demanding nature of sustained operations. He criticized media portrayals that he suggested depicted the crew as symbols of dysfunction rather than as heroes of the conflict.
Hegseth presented a citation from President Donald Trump, highlighting the Lincoln strike group's combat achievements. These included sinking 64 Iranian warships, destroying 21 anti-ship cruise missiles, executing 3,693 combat sorties, launching 450 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, and deploying 1.37 million pounds of ordnance against Iran. Notably, the carrier experienced no casualties or aircraft mishaps despite the intensive combat tempo.
"What makes the US military and the US Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you're resilient and you overcome - you finish the mission nonetheless," Hegseth stated to the crew. "Yes, it's hard. That's why you're here. You do difficult and hard things."
The deployment's extension came amid ongoing conflict with Iran, which has impacted global energy markets and become a significant issue in the upcoming midterm elections. Hegseth acknowledged the difficulties of resupply during the mission and expressed gratitude for the crew's role in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
