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LAEM CHABANG: U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived in port in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after 286 days at sea, including a lengthy \u200cdeployment in the Middle East, amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board.<\/strong><\/p>\n The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 personnel, was involved in the U.S. naval blockade and combat operations in the war with Iran and \u2014 according to Democratic lawmakers \u2014 set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea.<\/span><\/p>\n Accompanied by other U.S. naval vessels, the Lincoln arrived early Wednesday in Thailand, the United States\u2019 only treaty partner in mainland Southeast Asia, for rest and recuperation \u200bduring a visit that Thai officials said would last five days.<\/span><\/p>\n By afternoon, busloads of sailors and Marines wearing civilian clothes, many smiling and waving, started arriving at a \u200bhotel in the resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved \u2060opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,\u201d the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, Rear Admiral Robert E. Loughran, said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat this strike group has \u200baccomplished is truly historic. I could not be prouder of the exceptional professionalism and expertise demonstrated by every member of this team during our operations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Lincoln was deployed last November. Typically naval deployments \u200bare for between six and nine months, but those can be extended during times of conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n Shakeira Fairfax flew in from New Jersey and was waiting outside the Pattaya hotel to meet her 25-year-old daughter Jade, a crew member on the Lincoln.<\/span><\/p>\n Fairfax said there were moments during the long deployment after the start of the Iran war when morale was low, when contact was limited and she feared for her daughter\u2019s safety.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere was \u200ba period of silence,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was an uncertain time, it was a scary time. It was difficult, it was definitely difficult, but she has a support system,\u201d she told \u200breporters.<\/span><\/p>\n Inside this warehouse in Mumbai, there were like dozens and dozens of boxes packed with popular products of Nestle, Maggi, the popular Nestle noodles.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI just can\u2019t wait to see her smile. I can\u2019t wait to hear \u2018Mom\u2019, I know that\u2019s the first thing she\u2019s gonna say.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eastern Thailand is long accustomed to port visits by the U.S. Navy and has \u200ca relationship \u2060going back to the Vietnam War, when Pattaya was a sleepy beach town close to a naval base and an airfield used by U.S. bombers, with thousands of U.S. personnel based in the area.<\/span><\/p>\n Thailand became a U.S. treaty ally in 1954 before being designated a major non-NATO ally in 2003. The two countries\u2019 militaries maintain strong ties and hold joint exercises every year.<\/span><\/p>\n The Lincoln, its broad flight deck packed with helicopters and warplanes, including the latest F-35 fighter jets, arrived in Laem Chabang early on Wednesday and the guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked \u200bin nearby Sri Racha.<\/span><\/p>\n Both vessels were streaked with \u200brust and showed mottled paint along the \u2060waterlines. A third ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, arrived in the port of Map Tha Phut.<\/span><\/p>\n The port visit has raised hopes of an economic boost for Pattaya, which also has a long-standing reputation as a sex tourism destination.<\/span><\/p>\n The city\u2019s mayor, Poramase Ngampiches, \u200bmet the commander of the Lincoln on Wednesday and said U.S. officials had placed restrictions on the crew\u2019s activities during the stay, \u200bincluding on water sports \u2060and visiting certain entertainment zones after sunset, which he said could present a negative image.<\/span><\/p>\n Police will deploy additional patrols around Pattaya\u2019s main beachfront and nightlife district, following raids over the weekend and the arrest of 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution.<\/span><\/p>\n Although illegal in Thailand, the sex industry operates openly in tourism hubs, including in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, despite occasional crackdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n On the eve of the Lincoln\u2019s \u2060arrival, Pattaya \u200bstreet vendors near the city\u2019s infamous \u201cWalking Street\u201d nightlife zone were excited by the prospect of a boost in sales.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s \u200bbeen so quiet these days,\u201d said clothes seller Kadsalin Ketpa, 43. \u201cI hope with their arrival they would drive my sales up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u2018TRULY HISTORIC\u2019 ACCOMPLISHMENTS<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u2018DRINKS, HAVING FUN, AND LETTING LOOSE\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n