Just in time for the holidays, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returned from a five-month deployment Dec. 20.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, which is homeported in Coronado, is the flagship of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG), whose ships and 6,000 associated sailors are homeported in both San Diego and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The strike group was deployed in July to the Indo-Pacific to support regional security and stability, but it was later ordered to the Middle East in the wake of escalating conflict in the region.
During its deployment, the ABECSG launched a pre-planned, dedicated strike into Iranian-backed, Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen to degrade offensive capabilities. The strikes, conducted by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 on Nov. 9-10, mark the first combat strikes of the F-35C Lightning II variant.
The strike was conducted in collaboration with the entire joint force, including the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and U.S. Space Force.
“I could not be more proud of this team,” said Capt. Pete Riebe, commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, in a statement. “Our sailors and Marines performed superbly across every mission assigned. From the start of deployment, right up until the end, the Lincoln team never wavered in their commitment to excellence. Even while being targeted by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Lincoln Nation expertly defended the ship and supported our Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group destroyers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The men and women of Lincoln Nation should stand tall knowing they performed admirably in the face of uncertainty.”
Deploying units of the strike group include the flagship Abraham Lincoln, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, and Frank E. Petersen Jr. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance (DDG 111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) both returned to their respective home ports in December, while the USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS Stockdale (DDG 106) remain deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting global maritime security operations.
The deployed sailors and marines of the ABECSG conducted more than 9,000 sorties, 21,000 flight hours, 28 replenishments-at-sea and traveled more than 78,000 nautical miles. Ships of the ABECSG conducted routine port visits to Egypt, Guam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saipan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Great team work. I had the privilege of a VIP experience on CVN 72.