USS Carl Vinson Back in San Diego

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Vinson strike group comes home: Carrier did 6 months of airstrikes against ISIS during marathon deployment":

The five ships of the Carl Vinson carrier strike group returned home Thursday after a marathon deployment, including six months of dropping bombs on Islamic jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

At piers around San Diego Bay, there were kisses, tears and long sighs of relief.

“I’m immensely proud of the 6,000 men and women of the Carl Vinson carrier strike group,” said Rear Adm. Christopher Grady, the group’s commander. “I hope you are, too.”

He was speaking from a pier at North Island Naval Air Station, where the Vinson had just docked to the cheers of waiting family members.

Signs in the crowd spoke of feelings pent up during the nearly 10-month odyssey — the longest scheduled deployment since the Vietnam era.

One said, “#300 Days Without You.” Another read, “We Made It.”

“It was really hard,” said Keila Bennekin, 29, who was five months pregnant when her sailor husband, Anthony, departed with the Vinson on Aug. 22.

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