Military members welcomed home to NAS Jacksonville after longer-than-expected deployment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It truly never gets old — watching family and friends be reunited with military members who have been away for a long time.

They arrived Tuesday afternoon in grand fashion at Naval Air Station Jacksonville to friends and family who hadn’t seen them in nine months — a longer deployment than was planned.

“When we left, it was a six-month deployment. It rapidly became extended after the actions in Ukraine, the Russian invasion there,” explained Commander Patrick Blind. “Our job was to reassure allies, make sure that our partners over there knew that the United States had their back.”

The sailors were greeted during their return home with big smiles and lasting hugs — a warm welcome for the “Proud Warriors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 72.

Blind said his sailors had spent their time — since about last Thanksgiving — as the unwavering eye, serving as a lookout over land and sea in the Mediterranean.

“We were operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We never stopped,” Blind said. “There was always one of our aircraft flying just to make sure the battlegroup was safe, which is incredibly — when you think about that for nine months, that’s amazing. So, incredibly proud of my team.”

When Blind was asked what would be the first thing he’d do when getting to his house, he said: “Taco Tuesday.” His kids love it.

Commander Patrick Blind stands with his family.