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Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln while at sea

Captain Putnam said nearly 60 percent of sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln said this is their first deployment.

NORFOLK, Va. — 13News Now got a rare opportunity to go aboard USS Abraham Lincoln while at sea in the Atlantic Ocean.

Thousands of sailors are preparing for deployment, constantly going through extensive and vigorous training.

"There's just so much energy," explained sailor Samuel Cahill.

While the momentum is high while training in the Atlantic Ocean, sailors do admit that life gets tough living away from family members.

"It's hard being away, missing big things with my son. Him laughing for the first time," Cahill said.

Nearly 60 percent of sailors onboard USS Abraham Lincoln, Captain Putnam said this is their first deployment.

"I'm actually a little nervous about what we are actually going to be facing out there from a day to day basis and what we will be called to do," he said. 

Captain of USS Abraham Lincoln Putnam Browne said deployment will be an adventure and said he loves working with sailors who have never deployed before.

"Working with the young sailors and seeing how excited they are about making deployments and being able to talk to them about what they are going to see and how they are going to see it and what will be neat about it," Browne said.

Browne said the training leading up to deployment and deployment will not be easy.

"We are operating 24/7. On the weekends, there are no weekends. There's always something going on,” Captain Browne explained.

Sailors said they are ready for deployment, but at the same time ready to get home to their families.

"I have no idea what to expect. I am really excited to hit some ports, don't know which one we are hitting yet, but I'm up for any port we go to,” Cahill explained.

On 13News Now at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Ali Weatherton talks with sailors gearing up for deployment as well as the USS Abraham Lincoln moving homeports to San Diego.

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