Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Returns Home
Navy Newsstand
Story Number: NNS031107-05
Release Date: 11/7/2003 9:03:00 AM
By Journalist 3rd Class Cheryl Wilson, Naval Media Center Fleet Support Detachment, San Diego
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Princeton (CG 59) arrived home in San Diego Nov. 5, to crowds of anxious families and friends.
Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) was the last CSG to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). When the Sailors and Marines left March 3, a return date was not given.
"They did not have a definite answer for us until around five-and-a-half months that we were going to be gone a minimum of eight," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Johnson Lane, a Sailor aboard Nimitz.
Lane claimed that undeterminable length of absence from his family made the deployment a little harder than usual. Keeping busy seemed to make the time go by faster and helped the Sailors deal with an uncertain homecoming date.
"I think it was easier [during combat operations] because we were flying operations. We were not flying just to qualify pilots," Lane said.
The deployment was hard for not just the Sailors in the CSG, but families back home. They supported their Sailors as best they could, but it was still difficult.
Lane's wife, Sonja, claimed it was hard to be away from her husband, but at least she knew he was safe.
"It was really a trying time. I was home by myself with two kids wishing he was here with us, but I was thankful he was pretty safe on the ship compared to the military that was on the ground," she admitted.
With more than eight months at sea, Nimitz and Princeton Sailors were overjoyed to make it home safe and sound.
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