As the Boeing-737 touched down on the tarmac of Naval Air Station Oceana, Command Master Chief Lee Salas and leadership from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln's Air Department gathered to greet Lincoln Sailors returning from their deployment aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

Thirty Sailors from Lincoln's Air Department - ranging from airman apprentices to chief petty officers - became part of the Roosevelt crew for four months of a scheduled nine-month around-the-world deployment. With Lincoln in the second half of its Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in Newport News, Va., Lincoln Sailors were flown to Bahrain to meet the Roosevelt early in her deployment. They returned in a similar fashion as the Roosevelt's deployment neared its end.

"We're fortunate to have these folks go out there because while Lincoln goes through RCOH, we don't have that many opportunities to get underway," said Cmdr. David Burmister, Lincoln's Air Boss. "So for these folks to go out there, we really appreciate the Roosevelt taking them on board, and all the hard work and the effort they put in when they were at sea."

While on deployment, Lincoln Sailors put in longer hours than they were used to during RCOH, but were rewarded with port calls and knowledge not currently available to them with much of their gear still removed from the ship.

"I was out for about four months, so I have more sea time than a majority of the ship. It's great getting underway and seeing what the Navy is like. Definitely a lot more work, but ports definitely make the hard work worth it," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate Aircraft (Handling) Airman Brian Hudson. "The best part of it all was getting all my Aviation Boatswain's Mate Aircraft Handling qualifications that I couldn't get while Lincoln is undergoing RCOH."

Roosevelt was the Navy's forward deployed carrier in the 5th Fleet area of operations, providing direct impact on U.S. presence in the Middle East.

"The most memorable thing for me was the footage they showed us from our jets," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate Aircraft (Handling) Airman Ethan Edwards. "We got to see the footage of what our jets were doing in the Middle East, the jets that we launched! It was nice to see that we were getting out there and making an impact."

The Lincoln Sailors return from the Roosevelt with increased knowledge and experience; invaluable information that they will be able to share with their peers in the department.

"This is going to be something that is going to bring us forward through RCOH, and then once we get into the sea trials with the flight deck certification and everything else that we have to do," Burmeister said. "These are the Sailors that are going to be the ones helping the junior Sailors and the ones who weren't able to go, get their qualifications, help them to move forward, and really just benefit the whole crew overall."

Lincoln is currently undergoing RCOH at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Va.

Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class ship to undergo RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet, and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit http://www.navy.mil/.