Aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln returns to California following lengthy missions

The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has arrived at its home port in San Diego, California, concluding a deployment of over ten months during which it participated in American military operations in the Middle East, including operations involving Iran. Hundreds of families and friends welcomed the crew members upon their arrival at the port, after sailors and marines spent long months at sea away from their loved ones. The group included more than 4,500 sailors and US Marines. According to reports, the carrier strike group's deployment lasted over 321 days, spending more than 250 days at sea during the current year, with the majority of the mission based in the Middle East. The Abraham Lincoln left the region in late August before beginning its journey back to the United States, stopping in Thailand and Guam, while being replaced by the Japan-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington.