Could The USS Abraham Lincoln Be Coming Home Soon?
ABC News' Ron Claiborne, who is on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, says relief may be on the way for the crew.
The San Diego-based USS Nimitz has been steaming toward the Persian Gulf for the past month and is expected to arrive sometime this weekend.
Military officials have still not resolved whether the Nimitz will replace the Lincoln, or whether General Franks will ask that there be for aircraft carriers in the Gulf region.
But the expectation is that the Lincoln will be heading home soon after nearly nine months at sea.
The Lincoln has had a dual role in the region, providing aircraft for strikes against Iraq, and also enforcing Operation Enduring Freedom, trying to intercept or interdict any terrorists who try to flee from Pakistan into the Gulf of Oman.
It's been more than 60 days since they were in any port.