She is administratively responsible to Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic, and operationally served as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group Nine and host to Carrier Air Wing Two until 2012. She was returned to the fleet on 12 May 2017, marking the successful completion of her refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) carried out at Newport News Shipyard.
On May 5, 2019 USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East as the flag ship for Carrier Strike Group 12 and Carrier Air Wing Seven assigned to her.Abraham Lincoln’s contract was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding on 27 December 1982; her keel was laid 3 November 1984 at Newport News, Virginia.
