The USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying ships in its battle group returned to San Diego on Thursday after a seven-month deployment that included time within the South China Sea and Philippine Sea.
The Lincoln docked at Naval Air Station North Island, whereas the guided-missile cruiser USS Cellular Bay and guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance tied up at Naval Base San Diego.
The destroyers USS Gridley and USS Momsen headed north to Naval Station Everett in Washington.
Whereas underway for 220 days, the Lincoln’s strike group sailed over 65,000 nautical miles and carried out a wide range of missions, together with maritime safety and coaching for long-range strikes, anti-submarine warfare and air protection.
“Every single day of our seven month deployment, this gifted crew displayed grit, resilience and professionalism within the execution of their jobs,” mentioned mentioned Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, the nuclear-powered provider’s commanding officer. “Their exhausting work made the distinction as we operated alongside joint and mixed forces to make sure a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Navy and Marine air crews deployed on the Lincoln chalked up 21,307 flight hours, 10,250 sorties, 8,437 launches and eight,487 landings.
The Lincoln was the primary provider to deploy with a Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II squadron, which returned to Miramar on Tuesday.
Notable workouts in the course of the deployment included Noble Fusion in February, Jungle Warfare in March, Valiant Protect in June, and RIMPAC in July.
