▲ Crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln (file photo)
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier returning home amid controversy over crew "exhaustion" due to prolonged operational deployment, is set to make a port call in Thailand next week, providing the crew with a long-awaited break on land.
According to local media outlets such as Reuters, the Bangkok Post, and The Nation on the 26th local time, a Thai official announced that the Lincoln is scheduled to dock in Thailand next week along with two other ships from its carrier strike group.
A spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy explained in a statement that "this port visit is a routine port call to provide personnel with an opportunity to rest and recharge, as well as to receive logistical support."
The spokesperson added that the visit is not for training or joint military operations with the Thai Navy, nor is it related to any specific country or situation.
For security reasons, the Thai Navy did not disclose the names of the ships, the docking schedule, or the location, but U.S. Navy aircraft carriers typically dock at the port of Sattahip in Chon Buri Province.
Sattahip is located adjacent to the popular tourist destination of Pattaya.
Carrying a crew of approximately 5,000, the Lincoln departed its home port of San Diego, California, in late November of last year. After a single stop in Guam in December, it remained at sea for 208 consecutive days until stopping briefly in Oman on July 7 of this year.
U.S. media reported that this marked an unprecedented long-term maritime deployment in modern naval history.
As U.S. naval facilities in Bahrain suffered severe damage from Iranian missile and drone attacks and ports in several Middle Eastern countries became unusable, the Lincoln's crew were unable to disembark for extended rest.
Supplies also became severely strained as logistics relied on a base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean, located about 3,540 kilometers away from the operational area in the Gulf of Oman.
Amid these circumstances, reports continued to emerge that the crew was suffering from extreme fatigue and low morale, with mental health issues becoming critical as suicide attempts followed one another.
As the controversy grew, the Lincoln ultimately concluded its mission on the 20th and began its journey back to its home port in San Diego.
However, concerns are being raised that U.S. security commitments to the Asia-Pacific region may be weakening, as the USS George Washington, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier assigned to the Pacific, has moved to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln, leaving the Asia-Pacific region temporarily without a U.S. carrier.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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