I'm back home in the good ol' US of A.

A few months back I left on a short deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of the ground troops in Afghanistan & I returned home last night to loving friends & family.
My tour was fairly short only because I'm heading back in May for a followup 5 month deployment.

A little brief:
I'm active duty Navy, 10 years, stationed on the newest aircraft carrier in the United States Navy, the USS Ronald Reagan.
This last deployment we were sent to take the place of another aircraft carrier who had an overwhelming interior fire that destroyed nearly half of the ships internal wiring.  She was forced to return home & we were sent to finish her job.  

Our main mission was to sit off the southern coast of Pakistan & provide air support for our brothers & sisters in arms on the ground in Afghanistan.  
Whether pinned down by sniper fire or providing the location of points of interest, our aircraft was available night or day to drop missiles and/or bombs where needed.
Each plane would launch with weapons strapped to her wings & when she returned, the wings were bare.  

While overseas, a terrible tsunami devastated the Philippines & we were sent in to provide food, water & medical supplies for the struggling victims.  The outreach was remarkable & to see the the terror in those children's eyes replaced with a small sense of peace & comfort was a feeling one simply can't express in words.  

Before I left for this tour, I proposed to my long time girlfriend of 6 years & in this coming February, we will be wed in Jamaica.  We went there on a vacation after only a short time being together & was the place where we both really connected & learned an incredible amount about each other.  Now, many years down the road, we're inviting our close friends & family to join us in the same place our love began, to share the beginning of our lives as Mr. & Mrs. Jay CoqRocket.   =)

These past few months were a strain on my emotions..  Time spent away from loved ones, doing a job that sometimes has you question your beliefs & reason for doing the job you're asked to do.. Missing a few birthdays & weddings..  Missing a LOT of good football & completely missing out on videogames with my MANY friends here on 2o2p..

But the time for celebration is here & for the next 5 months, I plan on enjoying every second I have.  
When I walked into the house last night, one the first things I received, after too many kisses for me to count from my fiance, was a copy of Gears of War 2 from my roommate.

I can't wait to chainsaw your ass into little bite-size pieces.  =)

Cheers till then,
Jay CoqRocket