Hegseth Honors Lincoln Group After 10-Month Deployment

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is returning to San Diego after a 10-month deployment supporting U.S. operations against Iran, including 265 days at sea without a port call. The deployment was extended twice. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded the group the Presidential Unit Citation, praising its combat record and resilience while rejecting media portrayals of dysfunction. The deployment drew scrutiny over reported food and supply shortages, deteriorating morale and mental-health concerns, including eight suicide attempts among strike-group personnel acknowledged by the Navy. Families and lawmakers said the extended deployment took a toll, while administration officials disputed some accounts of conditions aboard the carrier.