Lincoln Pulls Into Thailand for R&r After 286 Days at Sea, Ending Record Nine-month Deployment

Some 5,000 sailors, Marines and crew departed the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Laem Chabang, swapping military operations for beaches, bars and much-needed downtime. Parents of the sailors expressed relief that their children are finally on solid ground. "I'm certain that his feet have touched the ground, and I'm really so relieved, so relieved, said Christi McGarey, whose son Marshall Ludwig is a sailor on the ship.

"Those ports are really important, and there's a reason why things like this don't happen, because since that particular vessel has been in commission there's never been this many consecutive days at sea. During the deployment, there were ongoing reports of deteriorating conditions on board due to a lack of supplies from U.S. bases in the region that were repeatedly targeted by Iranian strikes, as well as a decline in the mental health of the crew. CBS News spoke to several sailors as they arrived, but none wanted to comment on the conditions on board.

They all said they were excited to be on solid ground in Thailand. McGarey said her son, who is on his second deployment, believed the concerns were overblown.