The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived in Thailand on Wednesday looking rusty and beat up after a nightmare deployment.
The ship is heading back to its home port of San Diego after being replaced by the Japan-based USS George Washington. The ship’s arrival at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province comes weeks after concerns were raised about the welfare of the crew of about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
The Abraham Lincoln left San Diego on Nov. 21 last year and has spent almost all of the 286 days since at sea, making only brief stops in Guam in December and in Oman to replenish supplies as President Donald Trump’s war in Iran raged on.
The 1,092-foot warship, which is one of the largest in the world, looked a shadow of its former self as it lumbered into the port near the party destination of Pattaya in the east of Thailand.
Crowds gathered to watch the spectacle after sunrise, with the deterioration of the ship becoming clearer as it edged closer to port. The vessel’s paint has chipped off badly, whilst rust seems to dominate its hull.
It will stay in Laem Chabang Port for a four-day “rest and relaxation” stop before continuing its journey back to the U.S. This is its first full port stop since it was deployed in November.
“Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” said Rear Adm. Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3. “It also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand.”
Indeed, those excited sailors and Marines were photographed spilling onto the streets of Pattaya, a resort town known as Thailand’s ‘Sin City,’ which has a murky sex-driven illegal underworld. NBC News reported that some 5,000 service members were set to enjoy the seaside destination.
“Please be on your best behavior,” a commanding officer could be heard saying over loudspeaker, according to the aforementioned publication.
The former fishing village has a murky underworld and a reputation as a sex tourism hot spot. Officials were ready for the arrival of the pent-up sailors.
In preparation, over the weekend Thai police conducted a late-night sweep targeting public prostitution along Pattaya’s main beachfront promenade, according to Thai media. Twenty-five people suspected of soliciting in public were detained, including 18 Thais, five Laotians and two Ugandans.
The sailors will be glad to leave the floating nightmare. Family members had spoken out about the gross conditions on the aircraft carrier, whose deployment was originally expected to last seven months before being extended. Conditions reportedly deteriorated after Iran destroyed a U.S. Navy base in Manama, Bahrain, which had served as a vital supply hub for American forces in the region.
Sailors have reportedly been forced to wash in moldy showers, ration their meals and necessities such as soap, toothpaste, and deodorant, while many are working to the point of exhaustion, with some experiencing deteriorating mental health.
