JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An emotional reunion Sunday morning at the Naval Station Mayport, as the “USS The Sullivans” made its return to land after helping with combat operations in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean for eight and a half months.
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“Finally having him back, it’s just indescribable,” said proud mother Tiffany Blackshear Sunday morning, arm around her son. “I just, I couldn’t sleep last night. I was just waiting and waiting and waiting and just wondering what he was thinking, wondering if he’s okay.”
The trip was originally supposed to be seven and a half months, but the mission was extended.
“These eight months have been hard,” Blackshear added. “Especially just kind of watching the news and knowing what’s going on.”
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The USS The Sullivans was one of two locally based ships that recently helped defend Israel from Iranian missile strikes.
While sailors told Action News Jax Sunday morning it was an incredibly trying time to be away from home, they said the one thing that pushed them ahead was the constant reminder of the mission and the honor of serving their nation abroad.
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“There were times where it got hard to remember the why, but truly thinking about the why and why you joined, the people around you being strong for those beside you was really what made it easy for me to stay strong,” one sailor told Action News Jax.
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Now, some much-needed time at home for these sailors and the historic naval ship, before the next mission at hand.
“The ship has been deployed now five times in the last four years,” explained Mathew Rechkemmer, commanding officer of USS The Sullivans.
“So, a lot of operational experience for the crew. They’ve been away from home a lot. So we’re ready to get the ship repaired and get her ready to fight again here in the next couple of years.”
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