USS Lincoln heads home to San Diego after more than 250 days at sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is officially on its way back home to San Diego after an extended nine-month deployment that included time in the Middle East. 

The departure comes after the USS George Washington arrived in the region this week to take the Lincoln's place. The journey back to California is expected to take a few weeks, according to NBC News.

The trip comes after reports surfaced that sailors aboard the carrier have attempted to jump overboard amid dire conditions during their extended deployment to the Middle East. One sailor did allegedly jump but was rescued.

It was not immediately clear when the Lincoln left the region, but the USS Washington arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday, according to U.S. Central Command.

The Lincoln, carrying around 5,000 sailors and Marines, was deployed in the Pacific and South China Sea last November but has been supporting U.S. military operations more recently in the Middle East. The crew's deployment was extended in May with no end date announced. The sailors have been deployed for more than 270 days.

The Navy has not said where the sailors and crew would be stationed next, but previous reporting stated that the Lincoln and its sailors will be assigned to a home port at Bremerton, Washington.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.