"The homecomings help with the pain of deployment. Oh. I'm going to cry," said Brenda Heathcoat. Heathcoat's husband has been in the military for more than 23 years. Together, the couple has been through seven deployments.
While Matthew Heathcoat was gone this time, his first granddaughter was born. He met her Wednesday for the first time. "It's just like the first time every time I come home. It's awesome," said Matthew Heathcoat.
Heathcoat's daughters are also very familiar with these moments of anticipation. For daughter Chelsie Looker, the moments are a part of her past, and her future as a new military spouse. "I get the kid version of dealing with the deployment and now I get the married version. How my mom's going to be feeling, I'm going to be able to relate to her," said Looker.
NAS Lemoore actually hosted three separate homecomings. Three planes arrived within a couple of hours, and many families waited anxiously each time, unsure which flight held their loved one.
