thedrifter
09-10-07, 06:57 AM
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Marines Return Home
Sunday September 09, 2007 7:06pm Reporter: Venton Blandin
Beaufort -
Hurry up and wait! Marines usually know what that means, but they had to Sunday morning after their arrival at Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort was a couple hours late.
The families waiting learned what hurry up and wait means as well. The Marine's plane didn't land until after 1:00p.m. A late departure from Japan delayed the 16 hour flight back to Beaufort. The waiting families were tired, but perked up once the plane landed.
Friends and family members waited two extra hours for their Marines to return home from Japan. A speck of light in the night sky gave them a sudden burst of energy.
"Deshaun, you see the plane? Deshaun, do you see the plane," asked LuShun Lang of her Nephew.
Everyone saw the plane and the troops onboard could see their loved ones.
"You can see them. They're already to go! They are lined up looking out the windows," added Lang.
The Marine aviation units, along with a few navy corpsmen, trained side by side with the Japanese and Thailand military U.S. Air Force. Together, they launched 12 jets, dropped thousands of bombs, and performing daily maintenance checks on the jets.
"It's a whole new experience from what we are used to at Beaufort. The people, getting used to the whole base, the culture, and everything. It's real," said Corporal Jeff Chaffin.
Also real were the feelings of Corporal Chaffin's wife of just one year.
The two hour delay gave her many since she'd been without her husband for six months.
"I'm nervous. I'm scared. I'm excited to see him," said Crystal Chaffin.
The Marines conducted 2,000 flight hours and dropped 150,000 pounds of explosives on their tour.
The two units also trained in Singapore. There were a lot of red eyes on the flight line Sunday morning; some from crying and some from being tired.
All of them can get a lot of rest now. The unit should be home for about six months before another deployment.
Ellie
Sunday September 09, 2007 7:06pm Reporter: Venton Blandin
Beaufort -
Hurry up and wait! Marines usually know what that means, but they had to Sunday morning after their arrival at Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort was a couple hours late.
The families waiting learned what hurry up and wait means as well. The Marine's plane didn't land until after 1:00p.m. A late departure from Japan delayed the 16 hour flight back to Beaufort. The waiting families were tired, but perked up once the plane landed.
Friends and family members waited two extra hours for their Marines to return home from Japan. A speck of light in the night sky gave them a sudden burst of energy.
"Deshaun, you see the plane? Deshaun, do you see the plane," asked LuShun Lang of her Nephew.
Everyone saw the plane and the troops onboard could see their loved ones.
"You can see them. They're already to go! They are lined up looking out the windows," added Lang.
The Marine aviation units, along with a few navy corpsmen, trained side by side with the Japanese and Thailand military U.S. Air Force. Together, they launched 12 jets, dropped thousands of bombs, and performing daily maintenance checks on the jets.
"It's a whole new experience from what we are used to at Beaufort. The people, getting used to the whole base, the culture, and everything. It's real," said Corporal Jeff Chaffin.
Also real were the feelings of Corporal Chaffin's wife of just one year.
The two hour delay gave her many since she'd been without her husband for six months.
"I'm nervous. I'm scared. I'm excited to see him," said Crystal Chaffin.
The Marines conducted 2,000 flight hours and dropped 150,000 pounds of explosives on their tour.
The two units also trained in Singapore. There were a lot of red eyes on the flight line Sunday morning; some from crying and some from being tired.
All of them can get a lot of rest now. The unit should be home for about six months before another deployment.
Ellie