Everyone around Puget Sound proudly joins in the choruses of "Well done" trailing in the wake of the USS Abraham Lincoln as it leaves the South Asia tsunami disaster zone.

The U.S. aircraft carrier, home-ported in Everett, was the hub of an extraordinary relief effort anchored by U.S. military forces. The Associated Press reports the ship is headed for Singapore and is expected back in Everett by mid-March. A four-month deployment that began last October was extended by the Dec. 26 disaster.

The ship's crew of 5,300 was a key part of the 15,000 U.S. service personnel dispatched to help with rescue and recovery efforts. Hundreds of helicopter missions from the Abraham Lincoln moved food, water and medical teams along the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The thanks and gratitude of a nation were conveyed Thursday in a ship-board ceremony by Indonesia's welfare minister.

Official U.S. foreign policy toward Indonesia has been cool in recent years, particularly over the behavior of its military. Those are disputes and frictions for another day. These joint operations may have mended relations while underlying issues remain.

For now, clearly celebrated is the tireless work of a highly trained, highly skilled and well-led symbol of America's presence in the world. BZ, USS Abraham Lincoln.