LEMOORE — Among the first service members to feel the effects of President Bush's much-debated plan for a troop surge in Iraq are hundreds of sailors from Lemoore Naval Air Station.
Some 360 of them flew out of the base late Thursday to rendezvous with the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which will return to sea earlier than scheduled as part of a worldwide redeployment of forces resulting from the president's decision.
Among those whose time with family was cut short was Christian Gibbs, a member of the VFA-25 strike fighter squadron.
He had been home only six months and was expecting to spend more time with his wife and two young children.
Gibbs' children — Montanna, 7, and Mason, 5 — were playful earlier Thursday night. But when their father boarded a C-40 military airliner to San Diego, the tears began to flow.
"It's tough on them," Gibbs said.
Gibbs was stationed on the Reagan's maiden six-month voyage, which ended in July. "It's pretty sudden," said Gibbs about this latest deployment.
Usually, sailors have months to prepare for a deployment and spend more than a year at home before being asked to go to sea again, Gibbs said.
An estimated 600 sailors are scheduled to fly to San Diego today.
The Reagan will set sail to the western Pacific Ocean today, U.S. Navy spokesman Dennis McGrath said. About 40 F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighter jets from four squadrons are scheduled to leave Lemoore on Sunday and fly onto the Reagan, McGrath said.
This deployment comes shortly after 800 sailors from Lemoore left to join the USS John C. Stennis. The Stennis sailed out of San Diego on Saturday headed for the Persian Gulf on a planned deployment.
The Reagan's rapid deployment is part of the Fleet Response Plan, which the Navy says will provide the military with the ability to respond to any global commitment on short notice.
"We just found out about two weeks ago," David Pepper said about his deployment. "It was kind of a shock."
Pepper said a temporary goodbye to his fiancée, Melissa Estrada, who will be deployed on the Reagan today. Pepper said that if the couple were married, Navy rules would prevent them from being deployed on the same ship.
Estrada said she was anxious about going out to sea. "I'm excited. We don't really know what's going on," she said. "We're just playing it by ear."
Benjamin Valdez, a Navy electrician, was deployed on the Reagan last year. He described the aircraft carrier with a crew of about 5,500 as a "big floating city."
Valdez was glassy-eyed as he looked behind his shoulder to watch his wife and three children walk out of the terminal where the sailors waited for their plane.
"They'll be fine," Valdez said about his family. "We knew this could happen."
While the Reagan is scheduled to tour the western Pacific, destinations for aircraft carriers can change rapidly, McGrath said.
The Stennis is headed to the Persian Gulf and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is near the African coast, he said.
"They go wherever they're needed," McGrath said. "The world situation could change."
He said deployments usually last about six months.
Kara Latter said deployments are part of her husband Jerry's job. "It's always hard, but I'm so proud of him," Latter said while sitting in the terminal with the couple's 19-month-old daughter Avery.
Latter said she is part of a support group with other wives that meet once a month. The wives help each other a lot while their husbands are at sea, she said.
Jennifer Simoneau said her husband's departure will be hard because they have three young children, but it's his duty. "It's something that has to be done," she said.
Marvin Simoneau said the toughest challenge — other than leaving family — is making sure everything is packed. "I may have forgotten towels," he said.
Despite having to go without towels from home, Simoneau is hopeful that this deployment won't be too long: "Coming back is always the best part."
No comments:
Post a Comment