After 286 Days at Sea, USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in Thailand for Well-Deserved R&R
By Thomas Suen and Chalinee Thirasupa
LAEM CHABANG, Thailand, Sept 2 (Reuters) – The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived at a port on Thailand’s eastern seaboard on Wednesday after 286 days at sea — a deployment that Democratic lawmakers have described as a modern-day record for consecutive days away from port on a U.S. aircraft carrier.
With roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines on board, the carrier deployed last November. Most Navy tours last six to nine months, but the Lincoln’s operation was extended as its strike group took part in U.S. naval blockade and combat missions in the war with Iran. The lengthy stint has also unfolded amid reports of mental health strain and deteriorating conditions on board.
Laem Chabang, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok, was the carrier’s first port of call for rest and recuperation. Thai officials said the visit would last five days. By mid-afternoon, buses were ferrying sailors and Marines in civilian clothes — many smiling and waving — to hotels in nearby Pattaya, the beach resort that has hosted generations of U.S. servicemen.
“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, said in a statement. “What this strike group has accomplished is truly historic. I could not be prouder of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations.”
The wait for families has been long. Shakeira Fairfax flew in from New Jersey and stood outside a Pattaya hotel hoping to meet her 25-year-old daughter Jade, a Lincoln crew member. There were times after fighting with Iran began, she said, when communication from the ship slowed and she feared for her daughter’s safety.
“There was a period of silence,” Fairfax told reporters. “It was an uncertain time, it was a scary time. It was difficult, it was definitely difficult, but she has a support system.”
“I just can’t wait to see her smile. I can’t wait to hear ‘Mom’ — I know that’s the first thing she’s gonna say.”
The toll of nine months at sea was visible at the docks. The Lincoln’s broad flight deck was crowded with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets. Rust streaked the carrier’s hull and that of the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., which docked at nearby Sri Racha; both showed mottled paint along the waterline. The guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls arrived separately at Map Tha Phut.
Pattaya’s ties to the U.S. military run deep. During the Vietnam War, it was a sleepy beach town near a naval base and an airfield used by U.S. bombers, with thousands of American personnel stationed in the region. Thailand became a U.S. treaty ally in 1954 and was designated a major non-NATO ally in 2003. The two militaries remain close and hold joint exercises each year.
The port visit has raised expectations of an economic lift for Pattaya, a city long known as a destination for sex tourism as well as sun and sand. Mayor Poramase Ngampiches, who met the carrier’s commander on Wednesday, said U.S. officials had placed restrictions on crew activities, including water sports and visits to certain entertainment zones after sunset, which he said could present a negative image. Police will add patrols around Pattaya’s main beachfront and Walking Street nightlife district following raids over the weekend in which 40 to 50 people were arrested on suspicion of prostitution. Though illegal in Thailand, the sex trade operates openly in Pattaya and other tourism hubs despite periodic crackdowns.
Vendors near Walking Street said they were eager for the U.S. presence to revive trade. Kadsalin Ketpa, 43, a clothes seller, said the area had been quiet. “I hope with their arrival they would drive my sales up,” she said. Saroch, 45, a food seller, expected a busy few days. “They’re here for drinks, having fun, and letting loose,” Saroch said.
Reporting by Thomas Suen, Chalinee Thirasupa, Juarawee Kittisilpa and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by John Mair, Martin Petty, Kate Mayberry and Gareth Jones