USS Abraham Lincoln docks in Thailand after more than 200 days at sea

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The troubled USS Abraham Lincoln has docked at a resort in Thailand after more than 200 days at sea and extended deployment in the Middle East.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is stopping in the resort city Pattaya after weeks of reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies. The 5,000 sailors and Marines on board will have the chance to rest and recuperate from the gruelling tour before heading home to the U.S..

Ahead of the ship’s arrival on Wednesday, Pattaya authorities launched a crack down on prostitution. Police raids over the weekend saw 40 to ⁠50 people detained with additional patrols in place for the main beachfront ⁠and nightlife district.

Pattaya was originally a fishing village that became into a tourism centre during Vietnam War, with U.S. servicemen stationed at bases nearby. It has since developed a reputation for sex tourism, an image the city has tried to shed over the years.

The Abraham Lincoln left ‌its home port of San Diego in November and was later redirected to the Middle East to support military operations in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Pattaya has a reputation as a destination for sex tourism in Thailand (Reuters)

Families of sailors claimed they were so desperate after months on board some had tried to jump overboard.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed back on claims of poor conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, claiming they have been “completely misrepresented,” said on Thursday.

“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said last month.

“Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls – it’s incredible.”

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