The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for longer than any other carrier in recent memory, and by families' accounts, the 5,000-strong members of the crew are ready for a break. After public pressure, the U.S. Navy has provided it and the ship is headed home - but first, the crew will get to enjoy a "routine port visit" for rest and relaxation at a port in eastern Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy said in a statement this week.      The exact location was not specified, but historically U.S. aircraft carriers have called at Laem Chabang, where there is ample wharfage and water depth for a vessel of that size. For sailors on liberty, Laem Chabang is a two-hour drive from central Bangkok, a traditional R&R destination. The U.S. Navy has not confirmed the news of the port call. 

Lincoln has been at sea continuously for well over 270 days. Earlier this month, hundreds of family members of the ship's crewmembers complained that the conditions on board are subpar. After taking their complaints to Navy leadership, they began releasing details to the press: according to the accounts, the crew were attempting to carry on through food rationing, resupply constraints and fatigue, resulting in low morale and multiple suicide attempts.      The wife of one Lincoln crewmember told MS Now that her husband had jumped overboard on August 3, and had been safely rescued after an hour in the waters of the Arabian Sea. Three U.S. officials confirmed the report to CNN; one added that the survivor had donned a life vest for the jump and was uninjured. Separate reports indicate that at least one additional crewmember had attempted to jump off Lincoln's deck, but had been restrained.       Bottom of Form

After scrutiny from the press and the political opposition, the Pentagon diverted USS George Washington - the permanently forward-deployed carrier attached to U.S. 7th Fleet - to leave East Asia and head for the Mideast. Washington has taken up Lincoln's station, leaving the Western Pacific without a carrier presence. 

Navy leadership has generally denied reports of morale issues aboard Lincoln. In a statement to the press, Navy Secretary Hung Cao said that the crew of the Lincoln "crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation.