JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A crew of roughly 300 Navy sailors set sail from NS Mayport Wednesday afternoon on what the commanding officer called a “routine deployment”.
Final preparations were underway throughout the morning and afternoon ahead of the USS Donald Cook’s deployment.
The ship’s destination is not being publicly disclosed, as the conflict in Iran nears the one-month mark.
A small group of family members waited on the docks, trying to grab one last glimpse of their loved ones before they set sail.
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Among them were Joe and Frances Mooers, who cut their vacation short to send off their 24-year-old daughter, Junior Lieutenant Madison Mooers, ahead of her first deployment.
“We knew it was going to happen, but it happened a lot sooner than we thought,” Frances said. “So, we just pushed everything ahead and made it here, cause we’re not missing saying goodbye to our baby.”
The conflict in the Middle East loomed heavily on their minds, as at least 13 US service members have lost their lives since the US and Israel began their latest campaign in Iran.
It’s a conversation the Mooers tried to avoid these past few days.
“Not that we don’t want to talk about it, but you know, you’re ready to break down in tears,” Joe said.
“We all know it’s happening. It’s not like a secret, but you don’t need to like put it out there, cause we all know. So, it’s all about we just want you home safe,” Frances added.
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But the ship’s commanding officer, Commander Sean Hanley, said his crew is well prepared for whatever will come their way.
“We just got done with a composite unit training exercise, which is the certification for the entire Bush Strike Group. And that was a good month underway, testing everything possible for the ship and the crew,” Hanley said.
The Mooers said they sent their daughter off with Holy Water and a Rosary blessed by the Pope for good luck.
Along with those items, tons and tons of candy-filled eggs were given to her and her fellow sailors, a little taste of home for Easter Sunday.
They said the goodbye was a difficult one.
But it’s a goodbye they hope will only be temporary, ahead of a heartfelt welcome home for all of the sailors.
“They’re all someone’s son or daughter that are going through the same thing ad, you know, all the parents want them to come home safely,” Joe said. ”That’s what we all hope for.”
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