United States Naval Ship USS Farragut (DDG99) returned to Naval Station Mayport on Saturday morning, following a nearly seven-month deployment to the Navy’s 6th Fleet area of operation across the Atlantic.
More than 300 sailors manned the rail as the ship pulled in, me by hundreds of family and friends.
USS Farragut deployed near Normandy, Denmark, Scotland and England.
“The house has changed and everything’s changed, and we just want to see his face,” Cameron Jones said. “We miss him a lot.”
“I was good until I saw the ship, and now I’m kind of getting emotional,” Deshawn Murphy said. “I was fine, but you know that excitement when they’re coming back.”
“Each time he goes out, we worry and we pray for him, but luckily every time he’s come back safe,” Cameron’s mother Robin Jones said.
The homecoming started with the first kiss, which was won through a contest.
[ Photos: USS Farragut returns to Mayport ]
Next, sailors who have not met their babies because of deployment were given a special moment with their families.
The captain’s family boarded the ship for his arrival, and then each sailor anxiously left the ship to find their loved ones waiting for them.
“It’s not great, being away for so long, but once we get back together, it’s like we never left or anything. We’ve just been together all the time,” ET3 Marcus Watkins said.