Hegseth does two pushups and gives heros welcome to USS Abraham Lincoln crew: Changed the arc of history
WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave a hero’s welcome to the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln as they returned to San Diego after spending some 300 days at sea — and at one point dropped down for push-ups to correct a mistake.Hegseth extolled the crew, commending them for weathering through a lot of adversity and carrying out complex missions against Iran, while briefly acknowledging the mental health struggles many of the sailors faced.
“I realize I’m the only thing standing between you and home,” Hegseth told them.“I’m the one who signed that orders book twice to extend you…[I] plead guilty because of the incredible effectiveness that you showcased on the battlefield and the necessity.”He later added: “I draw inspiration from the mission that you executed so successfully.
You have changed the arc of history, ensuring that crazy people, theocrats, never get a nuclear weapon.”To cap off his hype and thank-you speech to the Lincoln crew, Hegseth announced it was being honored with a Presidential Unit Citation, among the highest awards a military unit can receive in the US.During its record-breaking deployment, members of the roughly 5,000-strong Lincoln crew reportedly dealt with mental health challenges as they were kept away from their families for an extended period of time while facing issues with dwindling hygiene products and other critical supplies.Some of them reportedly attempted to jump overboard as they grappled with those brutal conditions.The supply shortages are believed to be the result of Iran’s retaliatory attacks that were aimed at disrupting supply lines, particularly a base in Bahrain.Hegseth blamed the media for exposing those issues.“There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the U.S.S.
Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol, a symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale, or a symbol of a failed mission,” he said.“I know it’s the exact opposite,” he added.
“Instead, what mak...