Navy tour return - Rant

[ginge191]

If anyone has any family or relatives in the forces they would understand the emotions attached to love ones abroad.
As i write this, i currently also have another brother out on his second tour in Afghanistan, finishing off some training in camp Bastion and then heading out to another base to add fotifications; he left just before my other brother come home. By the time he returns, he hadn't had seen his brother in over a 18month. For a fairly close knit family, it's quite a while.

My army brother:



My navy brother who is an aircraft technician not only hasn't seen his family in 6 months, but also hasn't had the chance to see his first niece as he just missed her birth. As simple as this sounds, our sister has had massive complications in having a child an unlike most, she has planned and is bringing this rugrat up in the best environment possible.

His tour went fairly unscaved and yes, despite being away in the sea, the threat is "less" than that being a front line solidier and i respect any person in that situation - full HMS Argyll Story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7328983.stm.

So anyway, here's a few pictures of the day.

The ship pulled into Plymouth navy base at around 10:30 with roaring crowds from the start.



But unfortunately it does take a while to bring these ships in and to put the boarding bridges in place, so here he is waiting in anticipation.



He managed to be one of the first members off. As they left the ship, tradition takes it the Navy members bring a rose off for their loved ones. This didn't change. His long term girlfriend ovr extatic to see him ran as far forward as possible.



And finally meeting his niece that he has never seen apart from a dodgy skype connection in Dubai, where at which point she wasn't the happiest of babies, but yesterday, she done is proud!



So that was our day out in plymouth, a fantastic day out, and has done us all proud.

Unforunately, my mother also have another son awaiting to join the Navy. Once my degree has finished i will be starting my training as a Navy Officer, resulting in 3 of her sons being in the armed forces.

Thanks for the time to read.