USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives at Thai Port Covered in Rust

Friday, September 04, 2026

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier at the centre of a row over conditions on board after months at sea as part of Donald Trump's war against Iran, has arrived off a Thai port.

Posted by qcp at 07:33 PM | 19 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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A destitute and rusted USS Abraham Lincoln docked at a port in eastern Thailand today, marking its first full stop since deployment nearly 300 days ago. The Lincoln has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran. Families of servicemembers voiced concerns over the mental health of their loved ones.

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-- Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) 2:38 PM Â· Sep 2, 2026

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In World War II, I can recall American carriers returning to port horribly wrecked by the Japanese but never one that was rusted.

This is of a piece with dead cherry and willow trees, the Lincoln reflecting pool, and the White House East Wing (RIP).

There is a purpose to it all. An evil one.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-02 09:53 AM | Reply

That is the cost of keeping a ship on station needlessly well past it's routine maintenance schedule.

The ship has been in service since 1988. You can't keep them continuously in service without degradation of them.

I can recall American carriers returning to port horribly wrecked by the Japanese but never one that was rusted.

The oldest carriers serving in WWII were the Lexington and Saratoga and were built in the 1920s. The Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet were built in 1937-1941 and the Essex class carriers were built 1941-1950. The just were not in service long enough to rust that bad.

#2 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-02 11:05 AM | Reply

The last complete overhaul of the Lincoln was completed in 2017.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-02 11:08 AM | Reply

That is the cost of keeping a ship on station needlessly well past it's routine maintenance schedule.

That's why USS Photo Prop is already back in the shop getting her hair and nails done.

#4 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-09-02 11:10 AM | Reply

#4 I heard they were going to spray the pool liner on the outside.

#5 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-02 03:05 PM | Reply

Pete Kegbreath is a disgrace to the uniform. ANY uniform. Sanitation engineer, for example.

#6 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-09-02 09:05 PM | Reply

USS Enterprise CV-6: Between her major drydock period following severe bomb damage at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (late 1942) and her next major scheduled overhaul/drydock in the U.S., she operated for roughly 18 months straight through grueling, high-tempo combat operations.

The ship had spent well over a year facing tropical heat, pounding salt spray, and near-constant high-speed maneuvering.
The Paint: Her ocean-gray camouflage paint was oxidized, flaking, and heavily stained with streaks of orange rust along her hull and waterlines.
The Marine Growth: Having missed normal peacetime drydock scrapings, her underwater hull was covered in a thick layer of biofouling (barnacles and algae), which was noticeably dragging down her maximum speed and fuel efficiency.

#7 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-03 08:21 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Every 2-3 months they'd rotate the ww2 carrier battle groups off the front into a forward deployed anchorage. That's not a real shore leave, it's just a logistics stop to reload and rearm before going back to the front. If you were very lucky and didn't have duty, you could get off the ship for 2 hours to play baseball on ------ patch of coral.

#8 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-03 08:23 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Anybody else ever spent the night on a WW2 carrier? USS Yorktown, CV-10. Big rooms, tiny bunks strung on chains floor to ceiling 5 or 6 racks high. Not for the claustrophobic. The greatest generation was tiny, but made of iron.

#9 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-03 11:08 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

This is standard practice in todays USN been this way since the environment became important.

The ships are painted with environmentally safe paints, its called "running rust". I have flown out of Fresno and have even seen F15s of the NG, with a little rust on them.

#10 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-03 07:10 PM | Reply

Pedo 47 is making tetanus great again.

#11 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2026-09-03 07:25 PM | Reply

Simple things going undone, unpainted, unpaid for..signs that the falling Soviet Union itself presented that their empire was falling, and the Russian billionaires were looting the treasury in anticipation. Here in America we have the same, with Trump apparently heading to be our Putin.
We are bankrupt, in that bankrupt means that one owes a debt that one cannot pay, or will not pay.

#12 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-09-06 07:06 AM | Reply

We can repay it, given the political will to make substantial cuts everywhere.

#13 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-06 08:55 AM | Reply

Eventually it won't be optional.

#14 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-06 08:55 AM | Reply

To save somebody some typing, ^^ that already assumes taxes were raised.

#15 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-06 09:25 AM | Reply

FOR YOUR EDUCATION:
AI Overview Yes, surface rust is completely normal for U.S. Navy ships on extended deployments "Navy officials say surface corrosion is expected after such an unusually long deployment and does not by itself mean the ship is mechanically unsafe or incapable of fighting."

Why Rust Happens at Sea
Constant saltwater exposure: Ocean spray, high humidity, and crashing waves relentlessly attack the steel hull "Spending months at sea exposes them to saltwater and humidity." [-- [TikTok].]Running rust: Engine vibrations and hull flexing crack the paint, allowing surface oxidation to mix with condensation and streak down the sides "The dramatic orange and brown marks you see on Navy ships are caused by a phenomenon known as 'running rust.'" [-- [Quora].]Cosmetic vs. structural: These visible orange streaks look alarming, but they are purely superficial and do not threaten the actual structural strength of the ship's thick steel armor "While it looks terrible, the thick steel plates of a warship do not dissolve overnight. Running rust rarely impacts structural integrity or combat capability." [-- [Quora].]Operational and Environmental LimitsNo mid-ocean painting: Modern environmental and safety rules heavily restrict scraping and painting hulls while underway to prevent toxic paint flakes from entering the ocean "Environmental regulations... largely ban traditional at-sea maintenance practices." [-- [YouTube].]High operational tempo: Extended missions mean crews focus entirely on combat readiness and operations rather than cosmetic upkeep "Sailors on deployment are focused on the mission not on sanding or painting a ship." [--

#16 | Posted by MSgt at 2026-09-06 10:38 AM | Reply

#16 | Posted by MSgt a

Now ask AI:

Why do breakdowns of morale and mental health happen at sea?

You do it. I myself consider AI slop.

#17 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-06 10:48 AM | Reply

I myself consider AI slop.

#17 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-06 10:48 AM | Reply

In World War II, I can recall American carriers returning to port horribly wrecked by the Japanese but never one that was rusted.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-02 09:53 AM | Reply

How old are you again? ...

#18 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-06 03:08 PM | Reply

Because all the footage is in black and white...

#19 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-06 03:08 PM | Reply