SAN DIEGO — The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3), returned to its homeport at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, on October 8, 2026. The homecoming concluded a 321-day deployment across the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility, highlighted by sustained combat operations off the coast of Iran under Operation Epic Fury.
During the deployment, the carrier spent up to 286 consecutive days underway without standard port visits to maintain defensive posture and operational security. Prior to docking in San Diego, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth awarded the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group the Presidential Unit Citation—the U.S. military’s highest unit-level decoration—recognizing CSG-3’s performance during combat engagements in the Middle East.
TECHNICAL & OPERATIONAL METRICS: USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) DEPLOYMENT 
* Platform & Strike Group Leadership:
* Carrier: USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
* Air Wing: Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 (F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, MH-60R/S, CMV-22B Osprey)
* Command: Carrier Strike Group 3 (Rear Adm. Robert Loughran commanding)
* Deployment & Operational Timelines:
* Sortie Departure: November 21, 2025 | Arrival at San Diego: October 8, 2026 (321 Total Days)
* Underway Endurance Metrics: 208 consecutive days at sea between Guam and Oman; 286 consecutive days at sea overall prior to port stop in Thailand
* Combat & Sortie Metrics (CVW-9 & CSG-3):
* Flight Sorties Logged: Over 13,000 total sorties generating ~28,500 flight hours (~4,000 active combat sorties)
* Ordnance Expended: Exceeded 1.5 million pounds of precision-guided munitions
* Engagement/Kill Markings Displayed on Island Superstructure: Recorded scorecards for 103 Iranian uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), 34 surface vessels, and 10 midget/conventional submarines engaged during Operation Epic Fury
* Survivability & Readiness Outcome: Zero aircraft losses, zero combat casualties, and zero structural battle damage across CSG-3 assets.
