ts as a dramatic publicity stunt and, derisively, came to be known as the “Mission Accomplished speech.”
Bush, however, never said “Mission Accomplished.” While critics parroted the narrative the Bush administration had effectively staged a stunt, the “Mission Accomplished” banner was actually requested by Abraham Lincoln. The long, eventful deployment they had just completed had apparently instilled, in the crew, a sense something extraordinary had indeed been accomplished and they wanted to commemorate the occasion, especially with the president visiting. Nevertheless, there was no doubt the banner created a perception problem Bush never recovered from nor could explain away.
None of it detracted from the accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln, CVW-14, and her battle group. By the time it arrived home to Everett, CVN-72 had completed a 290-day deployment, traveling a total distance of 102,816 nautical miles. The air wing spent 29,837 hours in the air and delivered a jaw-dropping 1.865 million pounds of ordnance. Though it didn’t break USS Coral Sea’s 329-day extravaganza from 1965, this is one accomplishment the crew was probably happy to fail to achieve.
Back in the present day, Abraham Lincoln will be eventually relieved and end its deployment, which will likely reach or exceed eight months. Grueling as it may be, the carrier, her air wing, and strike group are living up to an example it set over 17 years ago, when Abraham Lincoln and her team proved they were more than great – they were ultimate.
Photo credit: U.S. Navy