Hegseth greets ship returning from troubled waters |
Hegseth greets ship returning from troubled waters
It’s Wednesday, and there is no shortage of news coming to us today…
Hegseth greets crew from USS Abraham Lincoln
Hegseth greets crew from USS Abraham Lincoln
Hinson and Turek debate in Iowa
Vance comments on Iran nuclear negotiations
Ovechkin’s final home opener in D.C.
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Hegseth welcomes back USS Abraham Lincoln
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian M. Wilbur, U.S. Navy via AP, File
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today will greet the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which will return to the U.S. this week following its lengthy deployment in the Middle East.
As The Hill’s Filip Timotija reports: “According to the Pentagon, Hegseth will speak with the ship’s crew, participate in physical training and eat lunch with the service members while in San Diego.”
The Lincoln departed San Diego in November and spent more than 280 days without returning to port.
Democrats in Congress demanded answers following reports of poor conditions and mental health crises on board this summer.
Trump administration pushed back: “Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said in August, adding that “some deployments are longer than others.”
“The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones,” U.S. Central Command, which oversaw the mission, wrote in an August social media post on X.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the media’s claims of mistreatment were “trying to paint our warriors as victims.”
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The Pentagon plans to expand missions targeting drug cartels in South America.
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan spoke with The Hill about Southcom’s objectives, particularly its “Offensive Campaign Plan.”
“Based on our assessment of what needs to be done, this plan focuses on five core lines of effort: dismantling illicit networks, attacking network logistics, preventing adversary regeneration, bolstering partner sovereignty and security, and building a strong coalition,” Donovan said in the interview.
For over a year, the U.S. military has been striking small vessels it deemed drug boats. In a recent escalation, the Trump administration put American forces on the ground in Ecuador to collaborate with local authorities and take down traffickers the U.S. now labels as foreign terrorist organizations.
One successful attack allegedly killed a Tren de Aragua gang leader.
A senior Pentagon official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Hill, “That’s kind........