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News Reporting· CBS News Published Oct 8, 2026

USS Lincoln docks in San Diego, returning home for first time in 321 days

From the Article

Reported by CBS News. The paragraphs below are the opening of that article, reproduced word for word — not a summary, and not the whole piece.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its more than 4,500 sailors and Marines returned home to San Diego on Thursday for the first time in 321 days, a jubilant homecoming after a long deployment that included months in the Middle East.

Hundreds of family members and friends waited for hours in the sun to greet their loved ones. As the ship pulled into the harbor, a roar of cheers erupted from a pier. Sailors stood at attention on the deck for the aircraft carrier's long approach, and after they were released, smiles and waves broke out as sailors took out their phones to call people on the pier.

In one such reunion, McKenzie Adkins held her 10-week-old son Declan as she waved to her husband, Alexander, on the ship's deck, before the new father met his son for the first time.

The Lincoln carrier strike group had been deployed for more than 10 months , including more than 250 uninterrupted days at sea this year. Much of that time was spent in the Middle East, where the aircraft carrier and its escort ships supported the U.S. war with Iran. It left the region in late August and began sailing back toward its home port of San Diego, stopping in Thailand and Guam. The Japan-based USS George Washington , another U.S. aircraft carrier, arrived in August in the Middle East to replace the Lincoln.

During the Lincoln's record-long time at sea, the Navy drew scrutiny for conditions aboard the ship. Reports circulated of supply shortages and faulty plumbing, and families of crew members raised concerns about deteriorating mental health conditions .

Congressional Democrats expressed outrage and pressed the Navy for more information about reports of shortages and mental health issues on the Lincoln. The Pentagon has defended conditions on the ship.

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How Other Outlets Covered It

News Reporting· MS NOW

USS Abraham Lincoln makes its long-awaited return home

Sailors and Marines reunited with their families in San Diego on Thursday as the aircraft carrier returned home from a record-setting combat tour in the Iran war that was marred by food shortages and poor conditions. The post USS Abraham Lincoln makes its long-awaited return home appeared first on MS NOW .

News Reporting· NBC News

USS Lincoln docks in San Diego Bay following scrutinized 322-day deployment

Families of crewmembers arrived hours ahead of the carrier’s return after reported suicide attempts, dwindling supplies and harsh conditions became synonymous with its deployment.