PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), along with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Jan. 8.
Abraham Lincoln has been underway in support of maritime security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation since April 1, 2019.
“I am proud of all of the hard work and dedication shown by the entire crew throughout the deployment,” said Capt. Walter Slaughter, commanding officer of Abraham Lincoln. “Hawaii is a strategic, historic location that presents a well-deserved opportunity for rest and relaxation, and for the crew to honor the sacrifices of those who have gone before us during the attack on Pearl Harbor.”
Abraham Lincoln’s around-the-world deployment, which includes a homeport shift to San Diego has spanned several theaters of missions. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group operated in the U.S. 5th Fleet for more than seven months fostering freedom of navigation and commerce in some of the world’s most consequential waterways.
The strike group also participated in numerous interoperability and partnership-building exercises with sister services and allied navies in both the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets, demonstrating the U.S. Navy’s capability to rapidly aggregate power across combatant commands to meet emerging missions and contingencies. As it transited through U.S. 7th Fleet, the strike group also conducted flight operations in the South China Sea in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Before the ship departs Hawaii, Abraham Lincoln family and friends will have the rare opportunity to embark on a Tiger Cruise to experience life at sea with their Sailors. Tiger Cruises are a time-honored tradition during which civilians are given the chance to spend time underway learning about their Sailors’ jobs, ship, and shipmates.
During their transit to Hawaii, Abraham Lincoln entered the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations Jan. 3. U.S. 3rd Fleet, headquartered in San Diego, leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with U.S. 7th Fleet to provide commanders with capable, ready assets across the spectrum of military operations in the Indo-Pacific.