Overview
- The carrier, which docked at Laem Chabang on Sept. 2, brought roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines ashore for a scheduled five‑day rest‑and‑recovery stop before it heads home to San Diego.
- Journalists and on‑site observers reported heavy wear on the ship’s exterior, including large rust patches and peeling paint, visible signs of a prolonged continuous at‑sea period totaling about 286 days.
- Ship and city officials imposed strict rules for shore leave with curfews and bans on certain activities, and shuttle buses transported crews to Pattaya for limited liberty and resupply.
- Thai police and U.S. authorities handled a minor drunken brawl in Pattaya that resulted in two sailors being returned to the carrier and confined for the remainder of the visit.
- The Lincoln was relieved in the Middle East by USS George Washington in August, and the port call has reawakened questions about damaged Bahrain logistics, longer supply lines through places like Diego Garcia, and pending congressional reviews and funding decisions that could reshape future carrier rotations and sustainment.