The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is expected to arrive in the San Diego area Thursday after a near-record deployment in the Middle East.
The carrier will arrive at Naval Air Station North Island at about noon Thursday, according to reports.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to travel to San Diego and visit sailors aboard USS Lincoln on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Department of Defense.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is the flagship of San Diego-based Carrier Strike Group 3, which supported military operations during the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
It was at sea without a port call for 286 days, the second-longest deployment since the Vietnam War, with more than 300 consecutive days overseas. The USS Gerald R. Ford set the record for longest deployment by an aircraft carrier at 326 days, which ended earlier this year.