Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday presented the Presidential Unit Citation to the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group as the aircraft carrier returned to San Diego after an extended deployment in the Middle East. The award, the highest unit-level military decoration, recognizes the crew's extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.
In a 16-minute speech aboard the carrier, Hegseth praised the strike group for supporting U.S. operations against Iran and helping enforce a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the crew “projected decisive combat power and established maritime advantage to achieve the president’s strategic objectives and strengthen the security” of the United States.
“I draw inspiration from the mission that you executed so successfully,” Hegseth said. “You have changed the arc of history, ensuring that crazy people, theocrats, never get a nuclear weapon, changes the arc of history.”
The Presidential Unit Citation, established in the 1940s, is awarded to units that display “extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.” The military states that the required degree of heroism is equivalent to that which would warrant the Distinguished Service Cross for an individual.
The citation comes as the Lincoln, a Nimitz-class carrier, returns after a 280-day deployment in the U.S. Central Command theater. The extended mission drew scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers after reports highlighted degrading mental health among the crew, poor living conditions, and food supply challenges. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) that eight sailors attempted suicide during the deployment.
Hegseth dismissed the news reports, accusing outlets of trying to “turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale, or a symbol of a failed mission.” He added, “When I talk to your leadership, and I have had a chance to talk to a number of you, I know it’s the exact opposite, which is actually what the media does so often.”
The Defense secretary also detailed the strike group’s operational achievements, including 3,693 combat sorties, delivery of 1.37 million pounds of ordnance, launch of 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the downing of 77 Iranian one-way attack drones. He said the crew sank 64 Iranian warships, destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles, and successfully defended against four fast-attack craft and dhows.
Hegseth thanked the crew for their endurance, noting they spent 265 continuous days without a port call and were twice extended. “You know what you did? You did more,” he said. He also extended gratitude to their families, saying their long wait was “in service of a righteous and historic mission.”
The award comes amid broader debates over military readiness and morale, as well as controversy over Hegseth's cuts to senior officer ranks. The carrier's return also follows Hegseth's trip to San Diego to greet the crew, and the Pentagon has been expanding counter-narcotics operations under his leadership.
