Thousands turn out to welcome weary USS Lincoln sailors after fraught stretch at sea

Military families expressed mixed emotions as the USS Abraham Lincoln finally returned to San Diego after a grueling deployment that took a severe toll on its crew.

By 4 AM on Thursday, the sky was still pitch black when 19-year-old Pvt Grayden Monroe and his mother arrived at the naval base in San Diego, California. They were the first military family members to huddle on metal bleachers overlooking the dark water, waiting for Monroe’s 21-year-old sister to step off the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been at sea for nearly a year.

Monroe, stationed at Fort Campbell, wore his army uniform for the occasion. “I hope she’s proud of me,” he said of his sister, “and I hope she knows damn well that I’m just as proud of her.”

As the sun rose over Naval Air Station North Island, thousands of people flooded the base for the Lincoln’s long-awaited return. The atmosphere resembled a festival, complete with a live band, performers on stilts, therapy dogs, handmade signs, and giant cutouts of sailors’ smiling faces. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the Lincoln appeared around noon, rounding the corner past downtown, with sailors in uniform waving to their loved ones.

The Lincoln first left San Diego in November, with an expected return date in the spring. However, due to the escalating conflict between the US and Israel against Iran, the aircraft carrier was diverted to the Middle East, extending the deployment for the roughly 5,000 sailors and marines onboard. The deployment ultimately lasted 321 days, including 264 consecutive days at sea without a port call, a record in modern naval history, according to the Defense Department.