NAS Lemoore welcomes home two squadrons
Feb. 25—NAS LEMOORE — As two squadrons flew over NAS Lemoore on Thursday, families cheered, cried and hugged one another as a nearly 11-month deployment came to an end.
After the squadrons made their way off their jets, families ran after their loved ones. Fathers picked up their children, spouses kissed for the first time in almost a year, and special moments were shared as families tried to catch up with one another.
Chris Nisch, a maintenance officer and senior pilot for VFA 94, got to hold his seven month old daughter, Emma Joy, for the first time.
"This moment is indescribable," Nisch said. "The deployment was incredibly hard, incredibly rewarding, but being away from family is incredibly challenging, and meeting my daughter for the first time is harder than anything I ever expected. But the reunion is probably one of the best days of my life."
The squadrons, assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, left last April and arrived just after 12:30 p.m. VFA 22 was first to touch down with VFA 94 coming about an hour after.
"Being away from your children is hard, but [it's a] really important mission we're doing out there, worth the sacrifice," John Stigi, commanding officer of VFA 22, said. "Makes it all that much more worthwhile when you see them."
Stigi's wife, Jessie, said the moment hadn't quite settled in yet, but watching her two young boys run after their father was a "heart explosion."
"Long deployments are hard, dial it up with a pandemic and two young kids with school and childcare issues," Jessie said. "We've been very lucky to have my mother-in-law move in with us to help us because it was a very overwhelming experience."
Chris Nicoletti, commanding officer of VFA 94, said when they left their families in April, they waved good bye from quarantine and were unsure of when they would return. They never thought it would be nearly 11 months, but he praised the hard work everyone had done on the home front. Now, he's looking forward to catching up with his family.
"What I missed most is probably just our evenings together after a long day of work or school and getting together and having dinner," Nicoletti said. "Our weekend trips to the coast and the mountains, that's what I miss the most is our time together exploring California."
His wife, Erica, has been active duty in the Navy for 18 years, including nine as a nurse. She said they adapted to the challenges of the deployment and was happy to have her husband home.
"We are just overwhelmed with happiness," Erica said. "It's been a long, long deployment that's been complicated by the global pandemic, but we're so thankful for all the support in the community and on base. We're just so happy they're home."
A third squadron, VFA 137, arrived at NAS Lemoore earlier in the morning.
"The Sailors and Marines of Nimitz Strike Group and their families have given it their all for almost a year. They successfully kept COVID out of the strike group beginning in April of 2020, and stayed healthy throughout our time standing the watch for our nation," Rear Adm. Jim Kirk, commander, Carrier Strike Group 11, said. "These young men and women worked tirelessly to incorporate mitigations that ensured the health, safety and readiness of the crews.
"They made important contributions to the security and stability in the Middle East, Africa and Western Pacific during a period of tension and transitions. I am immensely proud of this team and all that they accomplished during this unprecedented deployment."
