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CNN Live Today
Fighter Jets From USS John C. Stennis Returning
Aired May 27, 2002 - 11:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Fighter jets from the USS John C. Stennis are returning this Memorial Day after six months of service in the Afghan campaign.
CNN's Rusty Dornin joins us now live from Naval air station Lemoore. That is near Fresno, California.
Rusty, a whole lot of exciting family members?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A whole lot of excited family members that haven't quite arrived yet. Pilots won't return for an hour, hour and a half. But 24 F-18 pilots will be flying in here after being gone for seven months. Now, the USS Stennis was not supposed to leave port until January. They left two months early. The pilots left here on October 19th -- or excuse me, October 29th. They have been in the northern Arabian sea as part of the Afghan campaign, basically running flight-ops 24/7.
I did talk to a couple of the guys who had returned early, some of the enlisted men who had returned from the ship early, who said it was the most exciting cruise they had ever had, because normally, these cruises are just training operations, and they were involved actively in the campaign in Afghanistan.
Now of course, here at Lemoore, preparations have been under way, and actually for months, for a homecoming like this, because They have to get everything donated. They get the champagne donated. They get the food, the decorations, everything here. And then of course the wives and families of the ones that are busy decorating, and speaking of the wives and families, we've got one for you here.
We have Lori Emmerman (ph), who is the wife of the commanding officer Rick Emmerman (ph) and her, count them, five children.
So Lori (ph), here we have Rick (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Trey (ph).
DORNIN: We have Randi (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DORNIN: Rick (ph), Reid (ph) and Gunner (ph) is the last one here. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no, that is...
(CROSSTALK)
DORNIN: You got confused. I can imagine why. Now actually, your husband has been gone nearly 10 months, isn't that right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DORNIN: Now, why is that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because prior to going out on a cruise, they do work-ups.
DORNIN: So they were in Fallon, Nevada actually training.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, they were in Fallon when 9/11 happened, and they were supposed to leave in January,but because of all that Washington wanted done, they left early.
DORNIN: A long time to be gone. How do you handle this troop for 10 months while your husband is gone?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little bit of a logistics nightmare.
DORNIN: I see all you guys are all wearing the same colored T- shirts. Describe, why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Squad colors are black and orange, and so in celebration of the Argonauts, we are wearing their squadron colors.
DORNIN: Reid, you are the oldest, at 12, how do you count the days? You were talking about some way you count sometimes when your dad's gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sometimes when we count, we make chains with paper, paper links, and then we rip one up for each day.
DORNIN: Wow.
So what is the first thing you guys are going to do with your dad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he comes home, we will give him a hug and tell him we love him.
DORNIN: Good. You have been counting the days. Have you been counting the days, Randi (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DORNIN: What's the biggest thing you miss about your dad?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Him not being able to do stuff with us.
DORNIN: Oh, yes. So mom, you have to be pretty busy, don't you? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter told me one day, I'm a pretty good dad.
DORNIN: You actually said you enjoyed him being gone during the winter time. Now why was that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because the kids can't go outside and play. They get to play with me, and I'm a little bit selfish when it comes to their time, and I like it when they play games with me.
DORNIN: And deployments are a little bit different now, because you guys get to actually send e-mails back and forth, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's unbelievable. This is actually the first deployment we have ever been able to send e-mail. It's amazing. Something can happen, and I can e-mail him, and he knows the next day. There is just a couple of times e-mail went down, but it wasn't for very long. It was awful.
DORNIN: Well, soon, he will be here in the flesh, and here at Lemoore, they actually put up a line where the families are supposed to stand while the guys come off the planes, and 24 planes will be landing right here. The families are supposed to stand behind this line.
Well, we will see what happens, Kris.
OSBORN: Rusty Dornin, thank you so much for bringing us that live report and the comments from that family. Could be its own squadron, all dressed in orange there. Very emotional situation.
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