First Lady Welcomes Sailors Home, Thanks Families
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Wollman
Special to American Forces
Press Service
NORFOLK, Va., July 31, 2009 - First lady Michelle Obama
welcomed home the crews of two Navy ships and expressed her support for their
families while speaking to more than 500 servicemembers at Naval Station Norfolk
here today.
First lady Michelle Obama salutes during the
singing of the national anthem at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., July 31, 2009. The
first lady spoke at an event marking the homecoming of the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower and the USNS Comfort from recent deployments. U.S. Navy photo by
Seaman Desiree Green
(Click photo for
screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
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Obama
commended the crews of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the hospital ship USNS
Comfort for a job well done. Eisenhower had been deployed to the Persian Gulf,
and Comfort to Central and South America.
"I am delighted to be here in
Norfolk today to welcome home so many heroes," the first lady said. "This is a
happy day for the community of Norfolk and families of these brave men and
women. We are standing here among heroes -- military, civilian, American and
foreign."
Obama expressed her gratitude for all that has been
accomplished by the military and for Comfort's civic and humanitarian-aid
mission. She also acknowledged Eisenhower's contributions to maritime security.
"The Comfort embodies our values by changing lives around the world,"
she said. "The Eisenhower defends our values in the world's most dangerous
places.
"To the nearly 6,000 sailors who deployed with the Eisenhower
Strike Group to Afghanistan and the Middle East and are now returning to their
homeports, we thank you for your service," she continued. "Each of you have
courageously served our country and demonstrated your commitment to uphold
America's highest ideas."
Obama also acknowledged the importance of
military families' support.
"We must all remember that when our troops
are deployed, their families are left behind and faced with an entirely
different set of duties -- mothers who tuck their kids in at night and struggle
to answer the question, 'When's daddy coming home?;' fathers who wonder how they
are going to keep their families together while they juggle ballet recitals,
homework and mowing the lawn, all while their wives are serving their country
abroad," she said, "and spouses and parents caring for a wounded warrior or
struggling to move forward after losing a loved one."
The first lady has
traveled throughout the world to thank servicemembers for their commitment to
the nation.
"I have seen the sacrifices [of] our military families up
close. They are the quiet heroes who represent the best in our country," she
said.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Wollman serves with the Navy
Public Affairs Support Element East.)