Pete Hesgeth honors USS Abraham Lincoln crew honored after historic deployment

Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln receive praise from War Secretary Hesgeth for completing a challenging 265-day deployment without a port call. The crew successfully executed critical operations in contested seas to counter threats from Iran.

During an address to the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, Pete Hesgeth commends sailors for their resilience during a grueling deployment that lasted nearly 11 months. Despite media reports characterizing the mission as dysfunctional, the crew successfully defended against incoming threats in contested waters and supported critical operations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility to counter Iranian influence.