The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand for a port visit on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a long deployment in the Middle East, and reports of deteriorating conditions on board the aircraft carrier.
The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 personnel, was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and – according to Democratic legislators – set a modern record for consecutive days at sea.
The Lincoln was deployed last November. Typically naval deployments are for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict. The carrier became a subject of controversy in recent weeks over reports of deteriorating conditions for sailors.
Shortages of basic hygiene items, smaller portions at meals and disruption to the mail system were reported. Other reports mentioned mould in showers, broken toilets and a lack of hot water.
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Warplanes sit on the flight deck of American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as it heads towards the port of Laem Chabang in Thailand. AFP -
The ship approaches Laem Chabang, a brief reprieve for the crew from a nine-month deployment marked by concerns over deteriorating conditions on board. Bloomberg -
Crew members stand on the flight deck as the aircraft carrier sails towards the Thai port. AFP -
The USS Abraham Lincoln is nuclear powered. AFP -
Commanding officer Capt Dan Keeler shakes hands with Poramase Ngampiches, mayor of Pattaya, as the US military crew arrives at Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya for a welcoming ceremony. Reuters -
Members of the US military head for the hotel after disembarking. Reuters -
The crew have spent nine months at sea. Reuters
There were also been reports of crew members attempting to jump overboard. US Central Command said that a person who fell overboard in early August had been quickly rescued. The Navy Times reported that families of crewmen had been told that several people had made similar attempts.
Accompanied by other US ships, the Lincoln arrived in Thailand, the US's only treaty partner in mainland South-East Asia, early on Wednesday for rest and recuperation. Thai officials said the visit would last five days.
The Lincoln, its broad flight deck packed with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets, arrived in Laem Chabang and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E Petersen Jr docked in nearby Sri Racha.
Both vessels were streaked with rust with mottled paint visible along the waterlines. A third ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, arrived in Map Tha Phut.
By afternoon, busloads of sailors and marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a hotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150km south-east of Bangkok.
Eastern Thailand is accustomed to port visits by the US Navy. The relationship goes back to the Vietnam War, when Pattaya was a sleepy beach town near a naval base and an airfield used by US bombers, with thousands of US personnel based in the area.
Thailand became a US treaty ally in 1954 before being designated a major non-Nato ally in 2003. The two countries' militaries maintain strong ties and hold joint exercises every year.
