The USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Thailand following its Middle East
deployment
[September 02, 2026]
By SAKCHAI LALIT and ANTON L. DELGADO
LAEM
CHABANG, Thailand (AP) — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier docked
at a port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after its grueling deployment
in the Middle East.
Associated Press journalists watched the Lincoln, which is carrying
about 5,000 service members, as it made its way into the Laem Chabang
port in Chonburi province shortly after the destroyer USS Frank E.
Petersen Jr. sailed past the area. |
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives at the port
in Laem Chabang, Chonburi, Thailand, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP
Photo/Sakchai Lalit) |
|
The ship had been supporting the U.S. war against Iran. Its
deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea
of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s
lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental
health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food
and hygiene products.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok confirmed the ship's arrival in a
statement Wednesday. It said the Lincoln's strike group arrived
in Laem Chabang, while the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.
docked at the nearby port of Sriracha, and the guided-missile
cruiser USS Robert Smalls is in Map Ta Phut in neighboring
Rayong province.
The visit marked the Lincoln’s first full port stop after 286
days at sea from the start of the deployment in 2025, the
statement said.
“Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Laem Chabang is a clear
demonstration of our enduring commitment to our allies and
partners in Thailand, and we are all very excited to make
Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” Capt.
Dan Keeler, Abraham Lincoln’s commanding officer, said in the
statement.
The usually Asia-based USS George Washington relieved the
long-deployed Lincoln in the Middle East in August.
Many of the service members are expected to make a visit to
Pattaya, a nearby popular beach town. Thai officials have said
the Lincoln’s stop would be for rest and recovery before
returning to its U.S. base.
Pattaya officials said they welcomed the visit and the potential
boost to the local economy. Authorities said they are stepping
up security to ensure a smooth visit.
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