When the destroyer Winston S. Churchill returned home to Norfolk, Va., on Thursday, families cheered and reunited after nine months apart.
For Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Jeff Reyes, seeing his family wasn’t just a reunion — it was a first meeting.
MC3 Sabrina Fine/Navy
During the deployment to Europe and the Middle East, the destroyer covered more than 56,000 nautical miles and conducted more than 1,000 hours of flight operations, according to a Navy news release.
The destroyer also responded to an emergency at sea, saving the life of a civilian mariner in August. One crew member on the civilian motor vessel Belde had been killed and another required urgent medical care. The crew of the Churchill evacuated the injured crew member to a hospital and saved his life.
The Churchill also received its third consecutive Battle Efficiency Award, better known as a Battle “E,” during the deployment, the release said.
