Pete Hegseth, who carries the title Secretary of War, landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln on October 7, 2026, while the aircraft carrier was operating at sea. The visit came one day before the ship was due back at its homeport of San Diego.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Hegseth presented the crew with a high-level award and addressed the sailors during the visit. The occasion marked the conclusion of a deployment the Defense Department described as record-setting.
According to the Defense Department, the Lincoln's deployment ran 321 days in total. Within that stretch, the carrier spent 264 consecutive days at sea without a single port call. ABC News also reported on the award ceremony and the deployment's length.
The ship was scheduled to arrive in San Diego on October 8, 2026.