Washington, Aug. 15 -- The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home after more than eight months at sea, but the controversy over the carrier's prolonged deployment, reported poor conditions and growing concerns about sailors' mental health is likely to follow the Pentagon long after the ship returns.
The aircraft carrier's homecoming comes after a grueling deployment of more than 265 days. The Lincoln left port in November and was redirected to the Middle East in January as the United States expanded its military operations against Iran.
The Pentagon and Navy have rejected what they describe as exaggerated or misleading accounts of conditions aboard the ship. But reports of supply shortages, disrupted mail, plumbing problems, limited time in ...