Coming Home: 120 Navy Reservists Land in Norfolk

[wackychick]

NORFOLK (NNS) -- About 120 Navy Reservists arrived at Naval Station Norfolk Saturday after a seven-month deployment in Kuwait and Iraq. The Reservists are part of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (NAVELSG), based in Williamsburg, Va.

Known as NAVELSG Port and Headquarters Group GOLF, they completed combat support, cargo handling and headquarters missions as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The flight arrived three hours early, but that didn't deter some family members from greeting them at Norfolk's AMC Terminal.

One spouse flew from Jacksonville, Fla., to surprise her husband, Ship's Serviceman 2nd Cl*** Robert "Jason" Taylor, as he got off the plane. The weary Sailor said he allowed his shipmates to get off first because he wasn't expecting anyone.

"I'm thinking, 'I'll get on the bus, get to my room and take a nap," Taylor said.Little did he know that his wife had bought a ticket the day before and flew to Norfolk to surprise him.

"I couldn't let him come back without somebody here," she said. "And I did good. I pulled it off."

Having his wife there to hug made coming home all the more sweeter."It feels awesome," Taylor said. "I want to get down and kiss the ground."

The Reservists came from 21 states in September to train for a month in cargo handling and combat skills at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown-Cheatham Annex in Williamsburg. Many of the Reservists are part of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 11, based in Jacksonville, Fla.

This was not the first deployment for most of these Reservists and many were on their third deployment. Port and Headquarters Group GOLF is the seventh rotation of Navy Cargo Handlers mobilized by NAVELSG in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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