USS Abraham Lincoln Docks in Thailand After 286 Days
The US Navy carrier arrived at Laem Chabang covered in rust, giving its 5,000 crew their first full shore leave since November.
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Arrival at Laem Chabang
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln pulled into the Thai port of Laem Chabang on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, according to figures the US Navy gave CNN and ABC News. It is the ship's first full port stop since it left its homeport of San Diego and deployed to the Middle East in November 2025.
ABC News described the stint as a record 286 days; the Guardian reported the crew of 5,000 had not been ashore for nearly nine months, a record-setting uninterrupted period at sea. The visit is expected to last several days before the carrier heads back to San Diego.
"Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said in a statement released by the US Embassy and Consulate in Thailand.
Rust From Bow to Stern
The nearly 1,100-foot warship arrived covered in rust along its hull, an appearance CNN reported shocked observers. Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain who served three tours on Nimitz-class carriers, told CNN that rust along the waterline is normal for a ship at sea continuously for 60 days or more.
Removing it requires crews to be lowered to the waterline to sand off the rust and apply two coats of primer and two of naval gray paint, Schuster said. He estimated about 30 days of preservation work would be needed to clear it all, so only high-priority areas such as the bow and forward hull would be treated during a seven-day port visit.
"Rust is like a contagious disease. It spreads," Schuster said, adding that it weakens steel structures including decks, walkways and lifelines.
Conditions Onboard and Shore Leave in Pattaya
The Lincoln saw months of combat and blockade operations against Iran, CNN reported, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the carrier faced repeated missile and drone attacks. Democrats wrote to defense officials raising concerns over alleged food shortages, plumbing problems and declining crew mental health, ABC News reported.
The Navy dismissed those concerns and Hegseth said the reports were "completely misrepresented." President Donald Trump said the deployment was "not nearly long enough," a remark criticised by Kelly Lattig, father of a 20-year-old airman aboard, who called it "terrible messaging."
Sailors are taking leave in Pattaya, a beach city known for its nightlife, where the mayor and police greeted arriving crew. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said the Soi 6 area would be off-limits after sunset. One sailor, Breese, told the Guardian: "It's a fever dream right now."
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