The USS Abraham Lincoln, the US aircraft carrier that has spent months supporting American combat operations in the Middle East war against Iran, is set to return home, amid growing scrutiny over conditions faced by its roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines.
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Acting US navy secretary Hung Cao announced Friday (local time) that the carrier would return to the US as part of a planned rotation, saying the Lincoln's deployment had been extended because its mission demanded it. However, he downplayed the reports of the conditions and sailors.
“The USS Abraham Lincoln crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation,” Cao said in a statement. “Let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first.”
