BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will make a stop in Thailand after its grueling deployment in the Middle East, Thai officials said Wednesday.
The Lincoln was supporting the U.S. war against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages
of supplies including food and hygiene products.
Thai defense ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that the Lincoln will stop in Thailand next week for rest and recovery before returning to its U.S base.
“The stop in Thailand is a chance for the crew to go ashore and relax,” he told reporters at a news conference in Bangkok.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Royal Thai Navy said three ships from a U.S. Navy carrier strike group were scheduled to stop in eastern Thailand and that no military exercises would be carried out during the visit.
The U.S. embassy in Bangkok did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the U.S. Navy declined to comment.
Extended deployments of carriers wear on service members who are away from home for long periods and increase strain on the ship and its equipment. While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran calmed in recent weeks, the Navy is enforcing a reimposed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.
