MAYPORT, Fla. – More than 300 sailors aboard the USS Delbert D. Black returned to Mayport after a nearly nine-month deployment.
Sunday was the day the sailors and their families were longing to see. They were finally reunited after 263 days apart.
Shane Harris saw his wife and three kids.
His newest edition, Luca, is now 8-months. He was just three days old when Harris left for duty.
“I am just glad that they are here for me, my beautiful wife and my beautiful kids,” said Harris, who is a Second-Class petty officer. “I love them so much. “I learned that you can be strong, but you are not as strong as your family that is supporting you back at home. [My wife, Caitlin] is pretty much right there with me as far as strong goes.”
It has been five years in the Navy for Sydnee Armstrong. But this was her very first deployment.
“It teaches you to humble yourself,” said Armstrong, who is also a Second-Class petty officer from California. “You go through a lot. You put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. You are always worried about something, but you always know you are looking forward to something at home.”
The sailors on USS Delbert D. Black traveled more than 50,000 nautical miles. They visited eight different countries, including Spain, Italy, and Jordan. They spent a good amount of time in the Middle East.
Commanding Officer Adam Stein says it was in the Middle East where they faced a crucial mission.
“Almost exactly after the ship got in there last September, you may recall the Iranians pulled a couple of American unmanned cell drones out of the water,” Stein said. “Our ship was one of two ships that got called in. We got those back from the Iranians after they illegally pulled them from the water.”
Stein says the crew learned a lot about itself during those security exercises.
“I really learned the boundaries of how much I can truly trust everyone up and down the chain of command to deliver success after success,” Stein said. “Everything the Navy asked of us we were able to do and get the job done.”
Now, they are back with the people they love after doing their part to keep America safe.