Buses carrying crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier streamed into Thailand’s seaside resort city Pattaya, as part of a port call after a lengthy deployment to the Middle East.
The Lincoln was supporting the US conflict against Iran, and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 260 days.
Its lengthy deployment drew concerns last month about deteriorating mental health among the crew as well as shortages of key food supplies aboard.
The Navy downplayed any problems, and President Donald Trump commented that the deployment was “not nearly long enough”.
The ship has been deployed for a total of 286 days, according to the US Embassy in Bangkok. Its total uninterrupted time at sea before Wednesday’s arrival in Chonburi province was 264 days.
The ship is expected to depart Thailand this weekend and continue its journey back to the US.
After clambering down from buses, laden with luggage, several service members said they were excited to be in Thailand.
One sailor said “it was alright” when asked about the lengthy deployment, but declined to speak further.
Vendors and travel agents gathered outside the Hard Rock Hotel, the designated pick-up and drop-off point for troops traveling from the Lincoln, which is docked nearby at Laem Chabang port.
They swarmed service members as they arrived, offering a range of souvenirs and services.
Many sailors waved them away while waiting for their rides.
Two other ships from the Lincoln’s strike group are docked elsewhere in Thailand, with the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr at Chonburi’s Sriracha port and the cruiser USS Robert Smalls in Map Ta Phut in neighbouring Rayong province. — AP
