Emotional reunions unfolded at Naval Base San Diego on Friday as the USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee returned from a nearly nine-month deployment. Nearly 200 sailors were greeted by cheering families after months spent patrolling vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean and the Middle East.
The homecoming, just days before Christmas, was marked by long-awaited hugs, joyful tears, and celebratory signs. For many families, it was the end of a challenging period of separation.
“It has been very hectic, but we always talk about where Daddy is when he’s on the ship and he’s working, so it has been difficult, but it’s been very good,” said Meghan Psalidas, wife of a returning navy sailor, to ABC10 San Diego.
During the deployment, the crew conducted joint security missions and exercises with allied nations.
