NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Thousands of men and women aboard the USS Harry S. Truman made their way home to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday after three long months at sea.
Some have waited only through the passing of seasons, others waited their whole lives to see their loved ones aboard the vessel return home.
Sara Masters brought her new bundle of joy to meet his father at the homecoming.
“This is Jackson. He is three weeks old today,” Masters told 10 On Your Side. “It’s like he is really getting to meet his dad right now.”
Hundreds of friends and family waited to see their loved ones as the ship docked. Nearly 6,500 sailors returned.
Commanding Officer Captain Nick Dienna says the news of returning home was met with excitement.
“If you tell a sailor that you’re going to have some extra time to spend with the people they love back at home, that’s a pretty ready and willing bunch,” said Dienna.
Admiral Christopher Grady, commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said the return to Norfolk allows sailors to continue with training and certifications.
He also wanted to stress that the quick return didn’t hamper the strike group’s mission readiness.
“Let me be clear – all returning units are 100 percent mission capable and will remain in the sustainment phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan, which means they will sustain warfighting readiness and be ready to surge forward or redeploy when called upon.”
