Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the military’s highest unit-level valor award, a day before the ship’s planned return to San Diego.
The award covers the roughly 5,000 sailors aboard the Lincoln and several hundred more on accompanying ships. The strike group will have spent 321 days away from home, including 40 days in combat, upon arrival Thursday.
Hegseth, who visited the carrier to make the announcement, cited the strike group’s combat record during the deployment: 64 Iranian vessels sunk, 450 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles launched, and 77 one-way aerial attack drones shot down, according to the award citation. He also noted the crew opened Operation Epic Fury with 60 consecutive hours of strike missions.
“They had a modern Navy before this conflict started, and then they had to deal with the USS Abraham Lincoln and what you’re capable of doing,” Hegseth said.
The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded nearly always for intense combat or extraordinarily dangerous missions. The Lincoln is the second strike group to receive the award during the war with Iran; the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group received it in May, and the USNS Kanawha refueler received it in June.
Historical recipients include Army units that invaded France on D-Day, Marine units in Pacific island-hopping campaigns in World War II, special operations units that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011, and Coast Guard units for Hurricane Katrina response.
The strike group’s return to San Diego is scheduled for Thursday, ending the 321-day deployment.
Sources: Task & Purpose · Military.com