USS Abraham Lincoln crew arrives in Thailand for first shore leave in 270 days

Ship’s captain cites ‘disconnect’ in conditions reporting

At Pattaya’s Hard Rock Cafe and hotel, the city’s mayor and police officials, along with women in traditional Thai dress, waited to greet sailors arriving in civilian clothes, bags slung over their shoulders, off the buses. The crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln had not been on shore for nearly nine months — a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea.

Crew members appeared to be told not to speak to the gathered journalists about the reportedly deteriorating living conditions on board, but said they were looking forward to being on dry land, sleeping and going home.

One sailor, Breese, who did not want to give his surname, said “it’s a fever dream right now” and that he was looking forward to trying Thai food for the first time and meeting new people.

The sailors are being released in staggered groups, so not everyone has come ashore. Shakeira Fairfax, who traveled from New Jersey, has to wait one more day to be reunited with her daughter, Jada Fairfax. “I just want to pick her up and spin her around. She’s my baby always,” Fairfax said, adding: “I don’t know who I’m welcoming home.” Jada finished her basic training last October and was shipped out a month later, two months before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. She celebrated her 25th birthday on board in June. Her mother said there was an “abrupt” stop to communication when the war broke out, but she has since been able to check in intermittently and send care packages.

The ship’s captain, Dan Keeler, acknowledged to reporters that the carrier “looks like a dirty car in a parking lot.” As for the reports of conditions on board, he said: “I don’t know how to say it other than there’s a disconnect between reporting back home and what’s happening on the ship.”

Keeler added: “First-time sailors are going to complain about the food, the living conditions, similar to sending kids off to college for the first time. We did get caught up in an election cycle and got thrown around like a football.”

Keeler said there was plenty of food on the ship, but fresh fruit and vegetables became hard to get and stopped being served. “I am looking forward to a fresh salad,” he said. He added that the crew had to be careful with supplies of soap and toothpaste to ensure every sailor could receive some.

Asked about reports of attempted suicides on board, Keeler did not answer, saying there was an open investigation. Asked about comments from the US president — which included claims that the 270-day deployment was “not nearly long enough” — Keeler said: “The president speaks for himself.”

Crew from the USS Higgins also arrived at the Hard Rock hotel. Asked about conditions on board the two vessels, Ethan Johnson, a cook on the Higgins, said: “We joined the military, it’s not a cruise ship.” Johnson said there was plenty of meat and vegetables on the Higgins.

Sailors have also been prohibited from entering certain areas and prevented from doing water sports in the area because of the potential danger. They will not be allowed to visit pharmacies, as Thai authorities do not want sailors accessing medicines that do not require a prescription in Thailand but may need a prescription in the US, Pattaya’s mayor, Poramet Ngampichet, said. The mayor also said the Soi 6 alley — around the corner from the Hard Rock hotel, known for its go-go bars and part of Pattaya’s sex tourism industry — and the neighboring area would be off-limits for crew after sunset.

Kristopher Robinson, a naval attache with the US embassy, said Pattaya was chosen as the destination for rest and relaxation because the “people of Thailand have a history of being wonderful hosts not just to US sailors but people from all around.” Robinson said the crew would take as much opportunity for rest as possible and conduct themselves in accordance with US and local laws. “Sailors here, like all tourists, they’re going to enjoy Pattaya’s great food and wonderful culture,” he said.

The arrival fulfills the Thailand port call that drew scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers as the carrier approached. MSI previously reported that Democrats pressed the Pentagon for answers about conditions aboard the Lincoln as the carrier headed to Thailand.