Overview
- The carrier is set to return to Naval Station San Diego after about 320 continuous days at sea, a deployment that began when the ship left San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025 and later moved into Middle East operations.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will greet the crew when they arrive, and senior Navy leaders have acknowledged equipment and supply problems tied to prolonged operations.
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress that ships in the Lincoln strike group experienced piping failures and temporary reverse‑osmosis desalination issues that the Navy attributes to continuous operations and high seawater temperatures.
- Family members and sailors reported shortages of food, limited access to basic supplies and strained psychiatric support; Cao confirmed eight suicide attempts in the carrier strike group during the deployment.
- Sen. Ruben Gallego requested independent reviews by the DoD inspector general and the Government Accountability Office to examine sustainment, supply chains, mental‑health care and whether the Navy can safely sustain repeated extended deployments.