The USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home to San Diego Thursday after completing a record-setting 265-day deployment, one of the longest uninterrupted periods at sea for a U.S. aircraft carrier.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth flew to the carrier Wednesday to present its crew with the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a military unit can receive and an award generally reserved for extraordinary achievement in combat.

Hegseth rejected efforts to portray the Lincoln’s deployment as a failure, saying the ship should not become a “symbol of dysfunction” or low morale.

“What makes the U.S. military and the U.S. Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you're resilient and you overcome,” Hegseth told the crew. “You finish the mission nonetheless.”

Hegseth also delivered a message from President Donald Trump, saying the president had “tracked your activities from day one” and “couldn't be more proud” of what the crew accomplished.

The Lincoln’s deployment drew attention after reports raised concerns about stress, mental health, and shortages of food and hygiene supplies aboard the carrier during its mission in the Middle East. The Navy initially downplayed the concerns but later acknowledged some difficulties.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in August that the carrier maintained adequate food supplies, although combat operations temporarily limited resupply opportunities and reduced meal options. Cao said the crew continued receiving four nutritionally balanced meals each day.

The Lincoln departed San Diego in November and reached the Middle East in January. U.S. and Israeli forces began airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, placing the carrier and its strike group at the center of sustained combat operations.

According to the Presidential Unit Citation read by Hegseth, the Lincoln and its strike group carried out 3,693 combat missions, delivered 1.37 million pounds of ordnance and launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The strike group also shot down 77 one-way attack drones, sank 64 Iranian warships, destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles and defended against four fast-attack craft and explosive-laden vessels.

The prolonged deployment nevertheless came with significant strain. Navy officials told lawmakers that eight sailors attempted suicide during the 10-month deployment, while experts noted that the figure is relatively low for a strike group consisting of roughly 6,000 sailors over such an extended period.

After more than 10 months at sea, the Lincoln’s crew finally received a port visit in Thailand early last month while traveling home from the Middle East.

The carrier also set a record for the number of days between port calls. Its deployment marks the second unusually long carrier deployment supporting the war against Iran to receive a Presidential Unit Citation.

In May, Hegseth met with the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford as it returned from a 326-day deployment, the longest aircraft-carrier deployment in 50 years and the longest of the post-Vietnam War era.

The USS George Washington, which normally operates in the Asia-Pacific region, relieved the Lincoln in the Middle East in August.