Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
5,000 Men and Women Arriving Home After Serving More Than Six Months in Operation Enduring Freedom
Aired May 28, 2002 - 09:34 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We've been keeping you up to date on the John C. Stennis as it cruises toward its homeport of San Diego. More than 5,000 men and women are arriving home after serving more than six months in Operation Enduring Freedom.
And CNN's Frank Buckley is aboard the carrier. He joins us now with perhaps a little preview of what might happen when families get reunited a little bit later on this morning.
Good morning, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. It's a beautiful day for these sailors and Marines that are aboard the Stennis. They've been looking forward to this. Right now, some helicopters on the deck here of the Stennis. So it's a little loud. They just came and dropped off some VIPs and some other media shore. You might be able to see, in fact, from our camera at Point Loma.
If you look closely in the fog, our ship -- this ship starting to make its way toward San Diego for a reunion in just about two and a half hours or so. I'm sure it's going to be pretty exciting.
Right now Juan Sabino is joining me. He is an ordinance man, one of the people who loaded the bombs.
Juan, you were telling me this is your first cruise on a carrier.
JUAN SABINO, AVIATION ORDNANCEMAN, USS STENIS: Yes, it is.
BUCKLEY: Tell me what's it been like for you.
SABINO: Fun, some hard work. But just that's my job. I love what I do.
BUCKLEY: You know, we are talking about the fact that we are going to see some lovely reunions today. You were telling me your mother flew all the way from St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, to San Diego to greet you.
When you get a chance to see her, what are you going to you tell mom?
SABINO: Just thanks for being there, and just tell her I love her.
BUCKLEY: Tell me, has it been difficult. You've been away from her probably for the longest you've ever been away from her? Has it been tough?
Air boss getting in our shot there.
Tell us. There he goes again.
How tough has it been for you to be away from mom?
SABINO: I can't really say, but it has been tough. But then, again this is my job. I love what I do.
BUCKLEY: Oh, boy, we are getting blown over. We have some helos lifting off here. You were telling me that the most difficult part of this, aside from all the dangers that you guys faced was being away from family. Is that the toughest part of a six-month deployment? You miss so many personal holidays and things like that?
SABINO: Yes, that's about it. Miss personal holidays family, friends, all that just missed it. But then, again, it was worth it.
BUCKLEY: Was this what you expected, this six-month deployment?
SABINO: Definitely. Definitely.
BUCKLEY: Are you glad that you did this, and do you feel you've contributed in some way to the war effort?
SABINO: Yes. Yes.
BUCKLEY: All right, Juan, thank you very much, Juan Sabino. We appreciate your service and your help. That's it from the Stennis.
We are going to show you one more time the ship as it approaches San Diego, so the families who are there now can get a sense that their families are starting to approach and we will have those beautiful reunions when they're back onshore.
Paula, back to you.
ZAHN: Thanks, Frank.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
