USS Abraham Lincoln Finally Docks After 286 Days at Sea Amid Reports of Rotten Food and Desperate Sailors

Sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln dock in Thailand after 286 days at sea supporting the war in Iran. Inset: The Lincoln arriving in Thailand. (AP Photos/Sakchai Lalit)

After 286 days at sea, the sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln were finally allowed to set foot on dry land on Wednesday when the reportedly beleaguered ship reached port in Thailand.

More than 5,000 sailors and Marines have been deployed on the Lincoln since Nov. 21, and the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier began making headlines when reports of rotten food, lack of basic hygiene supplies, and desperate sailors — at least one of whom reportedly attempted to jump overboard — emerged.

Commanding Officer Capt. Dan Keeler spoke briefly with the Associated Press, which asked Keeler about President Donald Trump’s remark that the sailors were deployed “not nearly long enough.”

“So, the President speaks for himself,” Keeler told the AP. “That is what I think about that.”

In a prepared statement sent to the press before the ship docked, Keeler praised the United States’ “enduring commitment” to Thailand.

“Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Laem Chabang is a clear demonstration of our enduring commitment to our allies and partners in Thailand, and we are all very excited to make Thailand the first port visit on our historic deployment,” he said in the statement.

The sailors and Marines are expected to visit the popular beach town of Pattaya during their visit, according to the report.

Desperate families had voiced concern and anger to Navy officials last month during a meeting about the alleged conditions on the ship, including clogged toilets.

U.S. Central Command later ripped “rampant misreporting” about conditions on the Lincoln.

One mom was so excited for the chance to see her sailor daughter she traveled from her home in Paterson, New Jersey, to Thailand to greet the ship.

“I’m excited. I’m so full of emotion. I can’t wait to hold her. I can’t wait to snuggle up next to her,” Shakeira Fairfax told the AP of her daughter, Jade, who celebrated her 25th birthday on the ship.

The entry-level seaman had finished basic training in October and quickly deployed on the Lincoln, her mom said.

“It was an uncertain time. It was a scary time. It was difficult — definitely difficult. But she has a support system. Her friends reached out to me. In fact, one of her good childhood friends is here as well. It was a time for us to stick together and trust and believe that she would be OK.”

“I asked, ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ She said, ‘Just tell me old stories,'” the mom recalled.

“Being able to share stories, laugh and look at photographs — to take that walk down memory lane — was really nice. It was really nice.”

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