It was an emotional homecoming as HMCS Fredericton returned to Halifax on Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of family members and friends gathered on the jetty with signs, teddy bears, flowers and hugs for the 250 crewmembers.
READ MORE: Life at sea: an inside look into the world of a Royal Canadian Navy sailor
The Canadian frigate left on January 5 for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Black seas as part of Operation Reassurance — a NATO mission aimed at promoting security in Central and Eastern Europe.
“The feeling is indescribable,” said an emotional Kate Baird as she waited for husband to disembark.
“We’ve missed him so much and we’re just so proud of everybody on the ship and we’re all so excited to have them home.”
Crewmembers missed Valentine’s Day, Easter, as well as countless other milestones over the course of the past 125 days.
Sub-Lt. James Adams wanted to make this homecoming extra special for his long-time girlfriend, Misty Carpenter.
Sharply dressed in his white uniform, Adams was the second person off the ship. After a warm embrace, he promptly dropped to one knee and popped the question.
“I planned this basically as soon as I left and I knew right away that I wanted to propose to her when I got home,” said Adams. “So, I bought the ring overseas and now we’re here. All the boys inside have been razzing me for the last little bit because everybody’s known I planned this.”
HMCS Charlottetown left on June 27 to replace the HMCS Fredericton, meaning this crew will have some well-deserved time off.
One crewmember said he’s looking forward to getting back to life with his young family.
“We’ll just go home and start trying to get back into a regular routine,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Walsh as he held his young son.
“I have a daughter that’s one year old as well, so first thing we’ll do is get some lunch and maybe a beer for daddy.”
The crew will be heading back to sea in September for one of the biggest NATO exercises on the east coast — ‘Cutlass Fury.’
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