Hegseth unveils Presidential Unit Citation to USS Abraham Lincoln crew after lengthy deployment

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the highest unit award, the Presidential Unit Citation, to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group crew Wednesday upon the aircraft carrier’s return to the U.S. after a lengthy deployment in the Middle East.

Hegseth praised the crew for supporting the U.S. military’s operations against Iran and helping enforce the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strike group “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,” the Defense secretary said in a 16-minute speech aboard the aircraft carrier . “You have changed the arc of history, ensuring that crazy people, theocrats, never get a nuclear weapon, changes the arc of history.”

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The Presidential Unit Citation, which was created in the 1940s, is the highest unit-level military decoration for a unit that shows “extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.”

“The unit must display such gallantry, determination and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign,” the military said . “The degree of heroism required is the same that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.”

The citation comes as the Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is set to return to San Diego after an extended deployment in the U.S. Central Command theater, which caused scrutiny among Democratic lawmakers following news reports of debilitating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, including degrading mental health of the crew, poor living conditions and food supply challenges.

Hegseth lauded the crew for putting their life on the line and slammed the news report about the conditions aboard the vessel, 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.”

“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,” Hegseth said. “They see success, and they see excellence, and they see difficulty and challenge that needs to be overcome, an extension, a challenging environment, and they want to point to it as a symbol of something that was missed or wrong.”

Last month, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, that eight sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during the extended deployment.

“So if you would, when you greet your families tomorrow, just pass my gratitude from the president and myself; let them know that their long wait, we believe, was in service of a righteous and historic mission,” Hegseth said. “Thank them for their patience, for their patriotism, for their love, and for their support for pitching in on the homeland, which is never easy.”

The Defense secretary said the Lincoln strike group executed 3,693 combat sorties, delivered 1.37 million pounds of ordnance, launched 450 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, shot down 77 Iranian one-way attack drones, sunk 64 Iranian warships, destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles and successfully defended against four fast-attack craft and dhows.

“I’ll say this: Looking out at this incredible crowd, I thank Almighty God for such Americans, for such men, and for such women, who put their life on the line, 265 continuous days without a port call, two times extended when you thought you were going home, and we asked you to do more,” the Pentagon chief said. “And you know what you did? You did more.”