MAYPORT, Fla. – Nearly 300 sailors are reunited with loved ones after returning home to Naval Station Mayport on Saturday morning aboard the USS Farragut.
They have been gone for nearly seven months and were greeted with crowds waving flags and signs to welcome them home on the docks of Mayport.
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The joy was infectious as families hugged their loved ones with big smiles on their faces.
"It’s one of the best feelings after being gone for a while," sailor Robert Austin said.
The USS Farragut is based at Naval Station Mayport and was commissioned there.
Families waiting on the docks were thrilled when the ship came in.
"I haven’t seen him in about a year," Deana Wierschem said about welcoming her son, Louis, home.
Lakisha Roberts welcomed her daughter with open arms.
"(I'm) beyond excited, almost in tears," Roberts said.
The USS Farragut had been performing maritime security operations for about seven months with the Navy’s 6th Fleet area of operation.
Now, these sailors will be spending some quality time with loved ones and enjoying a much-needed break.