The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln docked at San Diego on October 8, 2026, completing a deployment tied to U.S. military operations against Iran.
The Department of Defense put the total deployment at 321 days, roughly 10 months. NPR had earlier placed the uninterrupted time at sea at 265 days, which the outlet said set a record for continuous naval deployment.
San Diego is the carrier's home port. The ship led the Navy's role in Operation Epic Fury, according to the Defense Department, which also said the carrier enforced a maritime blockade targeting Iranian-flagged vessels. That blockade covered the northern Arabian Sea. It extended into the Gulf of Oman as well.
NPR reported that conditions aboard the Lincoln deteriorated during the extended stretch at sea, with crew stress and supply shortages drawing public attention before the ship's return.