JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A NAS Jacksonville-based squadron is back home Saturday after a nine-month deployment overseas.
The "Swamp Foxes" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 returned home Saturday afternoon with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after deploying in October.
During the nine-month deployment, members of the strike group helped protect merchant shipping in the Southern Red Sea and were responsible for rescuing 26 mariners from Houthi attacks.
The Swamp Foxes engaged with four small Houthi-employed boats during an attack on Dec 31., striking three of them after they "maliciously" opened fire on the aircrew.
"It was a challenge, but it was a mission filled with purpose," said Cmdr. Eric Kohut, HSM-74 commanding officer. "They were smiling just as much six months ago as they are right now because they were happy to be doing the mission that they were trained to do and happy to be fulfilling what that purpose was that we've all asked to do as we joined the Navy."
Dozens of family members and loved ones gathered at NAS Jax to celebrate the homecoming, including Xiomaris Tosado.
"There's no words to describe the excitement that I do feel, I'm ready to hold him, I'm ready for him to be home. It's been a long nine months and I'm excited for him to be back and be with the family," said Tosado.
She added it was quite an adjustment being a single parent while her husband was away, and now she's excited to grow together with their son.
"It was a lot of adjusting, but I can say it made me very independent," said Tosado, adding she was thankful for the support she got from family and friends.
Ashley Michael was also elated to see her husband return home to her and their two young children.
"It feels like he's been gone forever, he left when this little one was freshly born only a couple weeks," she said motioning to her eight-month-old son, James. "I have a toddler and a baby. I never thought I would be doing this alone with two kids. It's been hard."
"I missed these guys, we left a long time ago, what it feels like, and we are just excited to be back reunited again, safe," said Lt. Joshua Michael after the family reunited.
The Swamp Foxes conducted more than 2,500 missions and clocked nearly 7,000 flight hours during the deployment.