Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Pulls into Guam for Logistics Stop, Deployment Now at 302 Days
Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), the embarked Carrier Air Wing 9 and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank Petersen (DDG-121) pulled into Guam on Saturday, according to a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet. Lincoln exited the South China Sea this week via the Sulu Sea, according to ship spotters, and arrived at Apra Harbor for a logistics stop. “The stop on Naval Base Guam marks [Carrier Strike Group]-3 personnel’s first return to American soil in nine months, during which personnel will be afforded on-base liberty,” reads the statement. The post visit to Guam follows the carrier’s port visit to Pattaya, Thailand
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) arrives in Guam on Sept. 19, 2026. US Navy photo Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), the embarked Carrier Air Wing 9 and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank Petersen (DDG-121) pulled into Guam on Saturday, according to a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet.
Lincoln exited the South China Sea this week via the Sulu Sea, according to ship spotters, and arrived at Apra Harbor for a logistics stop.
“The stop on Naval Base Guam marks [Carrier Strike Group]-3 personnel’s first return to American soil in nine months, during which personnel will be afforded on-base liberty,” reads the statement.
The post visit to Guam follows the carrier’s port visit to Pattaya, Thailand in early September — the first for the carrier since visiting Guam in December.
Lincoln and Petersen have been deployed for 302 days and are on the last legs of their return journey to the West Coast after seven months at sea supporting Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran.
The deployment is the second-longest carrier deployment since the end of the Cold War, according to the USNI News carrier deployment database. In May, carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) wrapped a 326-day deployment. Lincoln’s 2019-2020 deployment to the Middle East and homeport change is the third longest post-Cold War deployment at 294 days.
The carrier is expected to pull into the West Coast early next month, USNI News understands.
While Lincoln, Petersen and CVW-9 are returning, escorts USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) are still in the Arabian Sea as of Monday, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.
Navy leaders are planning on extended deployments to the Middle East for the foreseeable future. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Carrier Air Wing 11 and its escorts were told to expect a deployment of eight months, USNI News reported last month.
“They know they’re going to be there longer than seven months. Their [commanding officer] is giving them eight months to plan on,” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman said at the time.
