The stopover in Thailand—likely to last three to five days—will be the first time most of its sailors have set foot on dry land in nine months.

Last week, the United States Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier departed the Middle East and began its long journey back to the United States.

The Lincoln has been at sea for more than nine months. It first departed Naval Base San Diego, California, on November 21, 2025, for a deployment to the Western Pacific that was intended to last six months. However, the launch of Operation Epic Fury against Iran intercepted these plans, and the fifth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier was ordered to the Middle East in February.

In the months since, the supercarrier has made only two very brief port calls, including a one-day visit to Guam in December during which few sailors had the opportunity to leave the ship. During its current mission, the Lincoln has spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea. That shattered the previous modern US Navy record of 206 consecutive days set by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the USS Gerald R. Ford, which deployed for 326 days before its return to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, in May, had a number of port calls during its time abroad.

The long and uninterrupted time at sea has taken a toll on the crew’s morale, with reports of suicide attempts aboard the ship. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has downplayed the situation and said press reports “completely misrepresented” the conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.

The forward-deployed USS George Washington (CVN-73), which began its 2026 patrol in late May, arrived in the Middle East last week, relieving the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The Lincoln’s First Stop in Nine Months: Thailand

Even as CVN-72 has departed from the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM’s) area of responsibility (AOR), it could take several weeks to reach San Diego. 

In particular, the return home could be delayed as the supercarrier will make a port call in Thailand. Families of sailors aboard the warship told USA Today on Monday after receiving texts that the USS Abraham Lincoln would visit the Southeast Asian nation. It is unclear which city the carrier will visit, but US warships typically visit the Royal Thai Navy Base at Sattahip in Chon Buri, near the city of Pattaya, the Bangkok Post reported. The nearby Laem Chabang Port also has hosted Nimitz­-class supercarriers and other US 7th Fleet warships.

The United States Navy hasn’t publicly confirmed that CVN-72 will make the port call, and normally discourages the sharing of such plans before an official announcement is made. Making a port call may be necessary to resupply the vessel, but also to improve crew morale before the final journey home. Indeed, Pattaya and the nearby capital of Bangkok have a well-earned reputation for their nightlife—a fact that the sailors aboard the carrier are probably already considering.

Thailand is also a logical place to stop over on the way home for geopolitical reasons. It is the United States’ only treaty ally in Southeast Asia; the two countries first signed a mutual defense pact in 1954, and Thailand became a “major non-NATO ally” in 2003.

It is unclear how long USS Abraham Lincoln will stay in Thailand. However, port calls typically last three to five days during standard deployments, to allow for crew rest, food loading, mail delivery, and light maintenance to be conducted.

The USS George Washington made a port call to Da Nang, Vietnam, in July, the last visit of a US Navy carrier to a port in mainland Asia this year.

CVN-72’s Final Destination Might Be Washington State

Although the Lincoln is on track to return to Naval Base San Diego this fall, the carrier could make a homeport shift to Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington shortly thereafter.

The change of homeport would come as the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) departed from the Pacific Northwest base this past March, in advance of its planned decommissioning, temporarily leaving the base without an active carrier. Current plans call for the next Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) to be homeported at Naval Base Kitsap, but that likely won’t happen until 2028 at the earliest.

The ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), is on track to complete its Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, the specialized industrial shipyard located within the Bremerton portion of Naval Base Kitsap. Work is expected to be concluded by the end of this month.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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