The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Wednesday, its first regular port call in more than eight months, ending a marathon stint at sea in the Middle East that raised concerns about the welfare of its crew.
The Lincoln, the length of its hull stained by rust from the extended time at sea, pulled into the port of Laem Chabang, not far from the city of Pattaya, a prime destination for US military rest-and-relaxation visits since the Vietnam War.
The 100,000-ton ship departed San Diego last November, and when it returns to Southern California later this year it will have completed one of the longest deployments in US Navy history.
“We are all very excited to make Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” said Capt. Dan Keeler, the Lincoln’s commanding officer, in a statement.
The Lincoln has set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea during combat and blockade duty in the war with Iran, according to US Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
