Just in time for the holidays, thousands of sailors with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, including its flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, returned Friday to their homeport of San Diego. The ship pulled into Naval Air Station North Island after a months-long deployment to the Middle East and other regions in the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation, according to a news release. During the deployment came the assassination of Hamas’ political leader in Iran. Carrier Strike Group 3 includes flagship USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), and the guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, which includes USS Spruance, according to the U.S. Navy. The strike group was deployed in July to “bolster U.S. military force posture in the Middle East, deter regional escalation, degrade Houthi capabilities [and] defend U.S. forces,” according to a news release. “Facing advanced missile threats and attack drones in a high-stakes environment, they demonstrated exceptional tactical precision and a war fighter mindset,” Adams said. “From identifying incoming threats to controlling aircraft to executing flawless missile engagements, our crew neutralized every danger with unwavering focus and discipline.” The deployment was a challenging one for sailors, who faced threats in the Middle East, according to Spruance commanding officer Thomas “Matt” Adams. “During the transits, the destroyers were attacked by one-way attack uncrewed Aerial systems, anti-ship ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles which were successfully engaged and defeated,” the release said. The vessels were not damaged and no servicemembers were injured, according to the Navy.