Overview
- The carrier arrived at Laem Chabang Port in Thailand on Sept. 2, 2026, and is conducting a multi‑day rest‑and‑recovery stop that will let sailors and Marines disembark in rotations.
- Photos and on‑site reports showed extensive surface rust and weathering on the hull after roughly 286 continuous days at sea, a condition experts say requires in‑port preservation work that cannot be done during high‑tempo operations.
- Family accounts and multiple news reports described supply shortages, plumbing problems, prolonged long workdays and mental‑health strain among the crew, while the Navy says many issues have been addressed and added counseling resources.
- U.S. officials credited the Lincoln with high‑tempo combat activity in the Middle East, including intercepting hundreds of Iranian drones and launching strikes, and the ship was relieved in the theater by the USS George Washington in late August.
- The stop is drawing congressional requests for briefings and reviews of rotation and logistics policy after regional support hubs were disrupted, and Thai officials say the visit will give Pattaya a short economic boost before the carrier sails home.