WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday to present the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy’s highest decoration, just one day before the vessel is scheduled to return to its home port in San Diego. The award recognizes the ship’s operations in support of the conflict with Iran, known under the Trump administration as Operation Epic Fury.
Hegseth cited “40 days of combat operations and an ironclad maritime blockade” as the basis for the honor. According to figures read during the ceremony, the Lincoln’s strike group completed 3,693 combat missions, dropped 1.37 million pounds of ordnance, fired 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and destroyed 64 Iranian warships, among other combat achievements.
The carrier’s deployment lasted 265 uninterrupted days, setting a record for an aircraft carrier. The extended tour recently attracted national scrutiny following reports of crew stress, mental health struggles, and shortages of food and hygiene supplies. While the Navy initially downplayed logistical issues, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao later acknowledged that combat operations limited resupply opportunities, causing meal options to be reduced temporarily.
In response to the negative publicity, Hegseth pushed back against narratives characterizing the ship as a symbol of dysfunction. He emphasized the resilience of the sailors, stating, “What makes the U.S. military and the U.S. Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you’re resilient and you overcome — you finish the mission nonetheless.” He also acknowledged the strain on the crew, telling them, “I’m the only thing standing between you and home,” and added that he intended to clear the way for their return upon docking.
This marks the second time Hegseth has honored a carrier for an unusually long deployment. In May, he awarded the same citation to the USS Gerald R. Ford, which completed a 326-day tour, the longest for a carrier in the post-Vietnam era. Official reports indicated that four sailors on the Lincoln attempted suicide during the deployment, a figure experts noted is statistically low for a strike group of approximately 6,000 personnel over a ten-month period.
President Donald Trump, who Hegseth said “tracked your activities from day one,” has previously described the lengthy deployment as “not nearly long enough.” The Lincoln departed San Diego in late November, arrived in the Middle East in January, and will be the second carrier to receive the top unit award after returning from the Iran war.
Currently, two aircraft carriers are assigned to the Middle East region. The USS George Washington, typically based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The USS George H.W. Bush has been deployed for approximately six months and recently made a port call in Thailand. U.S. officials have indicated that a third carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, along with thousands of troops, could join the existing forces by the end of October.
Wait, did the Navy really acknowledge food shortages but still get a parade? Priorities seem… mixed to me.
I’m just surprised the Trump administration frames this as a victory lap. The logistical failures were real, regardless of the citation.
265 days is a record, sure. But at what cost to the crew? Glad they are finally heading home, though.
Six thousand sailors and four suicide attempts? That’s a serious red flag for mental health support. Awards don’t fix systemic neglect.
Hegseth calling that ‘ironclad maritime blockade’ while ignoring the morale reports is bold. Did anyone actually read the full article before praising this?