After spending a record 265 consecutive days at sea supporting operations in the Iran War, sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln finally stepped ashore in San Diego on Thursday.

At the naval base, emotional reunions unfolded as crew members embraced spouses, children and other relatives. Their homecoming followed a difficult deployment marked by reports of dwindling supplies, worsening mental health and suicide attempts among some sailors.

Relatives who gathered along San Diego Bay said they had spent sleepless nights and shed tears after learning about the aircraft carrier’s food shortages and harsh living conditions. Some sailors even sent their families detailed wish lists of the meals and snacks they missed most.

The Navy said 64 fathers were among the first sailors to leave the carrier, many of them meeting their babies for the very first time.

Kathy Monterrosa waited in Coronado with her 6-month-old daughter, Sarahi, dressed in a miniature blue-and-white sailor outfit as she looked forward to her husband’s return.

“She’s our deployment baby,” said Monterrosa, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Monterrosa said it was especially difficult to hear about the conditions aboard the ship while she was pregnant.

“I was crying a lot and worried. I wasn’t sure if he was OK or not,” she said.

When Monterrosa finally spoke with her husband, he told her the situation aboard the carrier had been “pretty bad.”

Sailor Steven Rivas smiled broadly while holding his 7-month-old daughter in his arms.

“I couldn’t grasp the reality of it,” Rivas said, describing the moment he returned home. As the ship entered the bay, he said, emotion took over while he saw the crowd and realized his family was waiting for him.

Brent Ledbetter was preparing to meet his infant son, Nathan, for the first time. “I just want to hold him, play with him,” the sailor told NBC News.

“He’s crawling around now, so I’m excited to chase him around the house and give him all the love that has been kind of withheld for the last 10 months. I’m so excited.”

During the deployment, Ledbetter watched his son’s early milestones through videos sent by his family.

“I’ve kind of got to see him grow up through the phone and internet,” he said. “Technology’s come such a long way, and it’s incredible.”

His wife, Jessica Ledbetter, shared the relief of having him home. “My husband, my best friend is back,” she said. “We’re just so excited to see him back.”

One Marine was welcomed home by the entire family, including Simba, his golden retriever.   

Others traveled as far as Nebraska, like the family of Lance Corporal Easton Tharpe, CBS8 reported. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew out to the Lincoln on Wednesday to give the crew the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive.

Hegseth pushed back against what he said were efforts to turn the ‘Lincoln into some sort of a symbol, a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission.’

The secretary told the crew that ‘what makes the US military and the US Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you´re resilient and you overcome – you finish the mission nonetheless.’ 

Dozens of sailors stood atop the Lincoln as it glided past the cityscape of downtown San Diego toward cheering families who were carrying flowers and balloons and ringing cowbells. 

Abel Ramirez, 20, walked off the carrier with a big grin, overjoyed that his first deployment was over.

‘It feels amazing,’ he said while headed out to search for his parents who drove from Texas. ‘There was a certain point when I never thought I would come off.’

Cassity Garduque, 14, waved as her mom in her sailor uniform frantically waved back from the top deck. 

‘It feels really overwhelming,’ she said about being reunited, adding she’s glad her mom won’t need to eat ramen almost every day.

Captain Daniel Keeler, the ship´s commander, said most of the crew was on their first deployment and that the issues they faced were normal for such a long deployment, adding everyone had access to four meals a day.

Alma Solano Velez said her husband gave his family an extensive list of the foods he has been craving over the past 10 months: oxtail, barbecue chicken, broccoli and shrimp empanadas to name a few.

He had told his wife about ‘the lack of food and showers’ on board and was looking forward to seeing their daughter, who turned four years old while he was away, she said.

The Navy initially downplayed any problems during the deployment, and President Donald Trump commented in August that the Lincoln´s lengthy deployment was ‘not nearly long enough.’

The carrier left San Diego in November and arrived in the Middle East in January. U.S. and Israeli forces launched airstrikes against Iran on February 28.

Navy leaders eventually acknowledged there were some issues aboard.

In August, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Lincoln maintained adequate food supplies, but because combat operations limited resupply opportunities, meal options were reduced for a short time.

After more than 10 months at sea, the Lincoln´s crew got a stop in Thailand early last month on the way back from the Middle East.

Extended naval deployments can wear on service members who are away from home for long periods and increase strain on the ship and its equipment.

The Navy told lawmakers that eight sailors attempted suicide during the record-setting deployment, though experts say that number is low in a strike group of 6,000 sailors over ten months.

According to the citation that Hegseth read to the crew, the Lincoln and its strike group executed nearly 3,700 combat missions, launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, shot down 77 one-way attack drones, sank 64 Iranian warships, and destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles.

The Lincoln, which set a record for days between ports of call, is the second carrier to endure an unusually long deployment during the Iran war and to receive the Presidential Unit Citation afterward, typically reserved for significant achievement in combat.

The crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford returned in May from a 326-day deployment – the longest for an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years and a record in the post-Vietnam War era. The deployment didn´t include as many uninterrupted days at sea as the Lincoln.

Another carrier, the usually Asia-based USS George Washington, relieved the Lincoln in the Middle East in August.

The Lincoln strike group carried roughly 6,000 personnel and spent months supporting combat operations connected to the Iran war. 

Cao confirmed last month that eight suicide attempts had been recorded across the carrier, its air wing and accompanying ships during the deployment. 

Another sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by shipmates and later medically evacuated, Cao said.

Families had raised concerns about food and supply shortages, fatigue and deteriorating morale as the deployment stretched on. 

The carrier also went for a record-setting stretch without a port call. 

Sailors and their relatives described 12-hour shifts, broken plumbing, moldy showers and periods when food portions were reduced as resupply became more difficult.

Despite those concerns, experts cautioned that the eight attempts alone cannot establish that the strike group’s suicide-attempt rate was unusually high. 

The Navy recorded 356 attempts across approximately 337,000 active-duty sailors in 2024, and a former VA mental-health official said more information would be needed to judge what the Lincoln figures signify. 

An Australian influencer has launched a scathing attack on Sam Wood’s lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly, after he told a court the former Bachelor star’s professional reputation was taking “a hell of a beating” amid domestic violence charges.

Cuskelly made the comment during Wood’s bail hearing at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday.

While arguing that his client should be allowed to seek professional support, the lawyer said Wood needed access to mental health professionals in an effort to protect his career and rebuild his public standing.

“Mr Wood’s depression is regarded as extremely severe,” Cuskelly told the court, referring to an affidavit from forensic psychologist Professor Ian Coyle.

“He ought to be given the chance to engage with mental health professionals to try to salvage something of his professional reputation and career, which is taking a hell of a beating at the moment.”

Lauren, who runs the maternal mental health account Mental as a Mother, condemned the language in a blistering video shared with her followers. She accused the defence of drawing attention away from the alleged victim and towards the possible impact of the charges on Wood’s career.

“Are we actually f**king serious with this s**t?” she began.

“Sam Wood’s lawyer is apparently concerned that his client’s professional reputation has taken a hell of a beating. A hell of a beating. Those are the actual words that he chose to use.

“Because apparently the great tragedy that we’re all being invited to consider here is the damage to a man’s personal brand. Won’t someone think of the brand partnerships?”

Lauren, who said she has a background in communications and crisis communications, argued that the defence appeared to be trying to shape the public narrative surrounding the case.

“But words matter. Once again, the person who’s suffering that you centre in a story matters.”

She went on to criticise what she described as a recurring pattern in public discussions about alleged violence against women, in which attention turns to the accused man’s professional consequences.

“And I’m so f**king tired of watching public conversations about men’s violence against women become conversations about the future of men’s careers,” she said.

Lauren stressed that her comments were directed at the wording used in court, not at Wood’s right to legal representation or a fair trial. She said she was not arguing that anyone should be denied due process.

However, she was particularly troubled by the lawyer’s use of the phrase “taking a beating” while representing a client charged with strangulation.

“If you’re going to publicly defend a man in the context of (alleged) domestic violence, perhaps don’t reach for a metaphor about his reputation taking a f**king beating,” she said.

Her post was applauded by many of her followers, one of whom wrote: ‘I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one that saw this and had the same thought.’ 

‘So f**king angry about this,’ another raged.

Wood, 46, was denied bail on Thursday and will remain behind bars after his arrest on Saturday night when police were called to La Mer on Hastings Street where the couple were staying with their three children, and Wood’s stepdaughter Eve, 21.

Sgt Grigoris told the bail hearing that Eve called Triple Zero and ‘referred to the victim having been choked’.

Sgt Grigoris said Snezana, 45, had not made a formal statement to police but had given a version of events of what happened in a video recording.

It is alleged a row broke out as the couple were packing their belongings to return home to Melbourne, and Snezana was pushed into a wardrobe before Eve intervened.

Eve told Wood to stop shouting, prompting him to approach her ‘aggressively’ before Snezana tried to get between them, the court heard.

Wood is then alleged to have put his hands around Snezana’s throat and forced her to the floor, where he pinned her down and banged her head on the floor, leaving her unable to breathe.

She told police she thought ‘this was it… her life was going to end’. She said she thought Wood was ‘going to kill her’, the court heard.

The prosecutor told the court Snezana was now living in fear of retribution from the former Bachelor star.

She told police Wood was ‘volatile and prone to angry outbursts’, and said she had to ‘walk on eggshells around him’.

She told police the alleged attack ended only when one of the children called out.

The court was shown photographs of her alleged injuries and was told Snezana supported the criminal charges against Wood

‘The complainant and her children returned to Victoria the following morning,’ said Sgt Grigoris.

‘However, police are in possession of the video recorded statement. In my submission, it’s strong evidence in terms of the offence.’

Sgt Grigoris said Wood had made ‘partial admissions’ in a record of interview, including referring to an argument in the bedroom.

‘He’s essentially victim-blaming in my submission,’ she said.

Wood’s solicitor Cuskelly said his client denied strangling or assaulting his wife.

The court heard Wood may rely on self-defence if domestic violence charges over an alleged attack on his wife go to trial.

Cuskelly said it would be alleged stepdaughter Eve was being hostile, Snezana approached Wood, and he pushed her away.

‘My client may indeed be entitled to a self-defence argument,’ Cuskelly said. These are matters that need to be further explored.’

While a paramedic had made a statement there was an injury to the left side of Snezana’s head, Cuskelly said two tendered photographs did not show that injury.

The lawyer added: ‘He repeatedly denied that this had occurred. Where’s the injuries to her throat? They’re not there.

‘My client denies committing these offences.

‘He’s never been before the courts before. He’s a businessman [and] Mr Wood’s depression is regarded as extremely severe.’

Wood asked to be bailed to an address in Victoria, but Sgt Grigoris said that would increase his risk of failing to appear when the matter returned to court as he had no ties to Queensland.

Sgt Grigoris said the most important factor when determining whether or not to grant Wood bail was the safety and protection of Snezana and their children.

Wood founded fitness and training business 28 by Sam Wood, which he sold for $71million to DBG Health in 2022 while remaining the face of the online platform under its new owner.

DBG Health quickly distanced itself from Wood on Monday, stating it had ‘zero tolerance’ for domestic violence. On Tuesday, the company cut all ties with Wood.

The entrepreneur married Snezana in an outdoor ceremony in Byron Bay on the NSW north coast in 2018.

The Woods live in Brighton, a coastal suburb in Melbourne where they recently bought a $7million home.