--- title: "USS Abraham Lincoln Is Getting A Badly Needed Scrubbing While In Thailand" date: "2026-09-04" modified: "2026-09-04" authors: - name: "Howard Altman" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/uss-abraham-lincoln-is-getting-a-badly-needed-scrubbing-while-in-thailand" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Nimitz Class" - "Sea" - "U.S. Navy" - "USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)" --- # USS Abraham Lincoln Is Getting A Badly Needed Scrubbing While In Thailand ![After 286 days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln is getting a good scrubbing.]() *(Photo by © TNP/Arnun Chonmahatrakool/Thai News Pix/LightRocket via Getty Images)* After [pulling into Thailand]() looking very much like it just spent 286 days at sea, the U.S. Navy’s[ supercarrier USS *Abraham Lincoln*]() is now getting much-needed TLC. When the *Lincoln*[ arrived in the Thai port of Laem Chabang]() on Sept. 2, it had [so-called “running rust”]() and algae caked all along the sides of the hull. Other parts of the ship, especially around the edges of the flight deck and sponsons on either side, also looked rough. The ship’s condition was a stark, visible reminder of the [hardships endured]() by the carrier and its crew during a long deployment that included a [key role in the war against Iran](). Video emerged on social media of local workers cleaning the carrier. Two of them can be seen on a scaffolding platform, dressed in silver-colored protective clothing, yellow helmets, face shields and black boots, spraying the side of the big ship. You can see that most of the rust, as well as all of the green swath of algae, was removed from the section where they are working. The camera also pans across the ship, showing the extent of the work still needed. https://twitter.com/commandante_/status/2095977387922243777 It is unclear whether this work had already been scheduled as part of routine maintenance or whether it had been ordered after images of the ship emerged showing its rough condition. The ship was a huge focus of attention even before it got to Thailand. *Lincoln* and Carrier Strike Group 3 took part in the[ opening salvo of strikes on Iran on February 28]() as part of what the U.S. military dubbed Operation Epic Fury. *Lincoln* and the rest of the strike group continued to support Epic Fury and[ subsequent operations against Iran]() for months thereafter. The decision was finally[ made to rotate the carrier out of the region]() last month[ following a raft of reports]() of[ severely flagging morale and mental health]() among the crew. One sailor had to be rescued last month [after deliberately jumping overboard](). There were reports that at least one other individual onboard [had attempted to do the same](). [President Donald Trump]() and [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth](), among others, have pushed back on concerns about mental health and other issues on the ship. Interest in the *Lincoln* flared up anew after it arrived in Thailand due to its condition, as well as intense curiosity about how the crew would fare in a Thai port call after being at sea for so long. ![SI RACHA, THAILAND - SEPTEMBER 02: The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier arrives at Laem Chabang Port on September 02, 2026 in Si Racha, Thailand. The U.S. aircraft carrier is making a port visit to Thailand following an extended deployment in the Middle East. Nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines are aboard the carrier, with personnel expected to take shore leave in nearby Pattaya. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)]() *The USS *Abraham Lincoln* (CVN-72) aircraft carrier arrives at Laem Chabang Port on Sept. 2, 2026 in Si Racha, Thailand. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images) Thananuwat Srirasant* [As we noted in our initial story]() about the *Lincoln*’s arrival in Thailand, [running rust on U.S. Navy ships]() has[ sparked criticism over the years](), including from President Donald Trump. This is in part due to the negative optics of such[ visible wear and tear on American naval vessels](), especially during calls in foreign ports. “It’s terrible. I think they should be ashamed,” John Phelan[ told members of Congress at a hearing]() last year after being shown pictures of a very worn-looking *Arleigh Burke* class destroyer, the USS *Dewey*, during a stopover in Singapore. “Would you want to go on that ship?” One driving factor in the condition of ships like *Lincoln* is the operational tempo of deployments, a Navy official noted earlier this year. “We know what to do, but we choose not to do it,” Mark Lattner, director of the Navy’s Ship Integrity and Performance Engineering, Naval Systems Engineering Directorate, [said in January during a panel]() at the[ Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium]() that *TWZ* attended. “And we choose not to do it because there’s always some other problem I’ve got to fix. I don’t have time. Our corrosion can wait. And so we don’t implement the fixes.” Finding a solution to the Navy’s rust problem became one of Lattner’s main missions in the wake of the fallout from[ Trump’s late-night texts]() to Navy officials demanding answers about the condition of the[ *Arleigh* *Burke* class guided missile destroyer]() USS *Dewey* after he saw pictures of it covered in running rust as it pulled into Singapore last year. ![President Donald Trump, through his pick to be the next Secretary of the Navy, has thrust long-running criticisms of what is commonly called "running rust" on American warships back into the mainstream limelight.]() *A picture of the USS Dewey covered in 'running rust' during a recent port visit in Singapore is shown at the confirmation hearing for Secretary of the Navy nominee John Phelan on January 27, 2025. (Senate Armed Services Committee screen capture) Senate Armed Services Committee capture* Port calls offer critical time to fix long-standing issues and resupply the ship of pretty much everything you can think of, from jet fuel to food. So it's no surprise that the *Lincoln* would be swarmed with support personnel and supplies while much of her crew enjoys being on land once again for a few days. It's unclear how long the clean-up work on the *Lincoln* will last or how much of it will be finished by the time the ship and crew leave port. Either way, from what we have seen so far, it will look much better leaving Thailand than when it arrived. *Contact the author: howard@twz.com* ## Author Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for *TWZ*. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()