While military homecomings are common in a Navy town, they are anything but routine when men and women return from war.
And, the arrival of Electronic Attack Squadron 137 at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station on Wednesday marked the end of a record-breaking six-month deployment for the Prowler squadron and the conclusion of a very long, anxious wait for family members.
“A week before they left they were just going on a regular six -month cruise,” said Kathy Rentfrow. “And then it all changed because they were going off to war.”
Rentfrow is the wife of Lt. Cmdr. Chris Rentfrow, a naval flight officer. The couple has two young daughters, Melissa, 6, and Kaitlyn, 4.
While Chris and Kathy Rentfrow have been through three deployments together over the years, it was the first time the girls were without their father for so many months.
“She told me yesterday that she’s going to kiss and hug him for as long as his trip was,” Kathy said of Kaitlyn, shortly before the VAQ-137 Rooks arrived home.
“It’s a lot of hugs and kisses,” Kaitlyn giggled.
While the Rentfrows’ excitement bubbled over in anticipation of the squadron’s arrival, others were quietly thankful their loved ones were about to return.
A young mother with her infant son sat quietly, trying to stay warm in the enormous hangar while waiting for the airlift, carrying most of the the squadron members, to arrive. The airlift is a DC-9 passenger jet, and it carries all squadron personnel, officers and enlisted, who are not flight crew in the Prowlers. VAQ-137’s homecoming was a bit unique, as normally the entire squadron does not come home on the same day.
“I’m very excited. It’s the last time he’ll ever be gone,” said Rebecca Huffman of her husband Kevin, who is getting out of the Navy in September.
Kevin Huffman, who “fixes the planes,” has already been gone for most of their son Austin’s life. Austin is nearly nine months old. His mother, Rebecca Huffman, grew up in a military family and went through six deployments with her Navy father.
Still, Rebecca Huffman thought this deployment was anything but routine.
“I kept up on (the news) to make sure he was okay,” she said.
VAQ-137 was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Rooks’ Prowlers flew in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from October to February, logging a total of 249 combat missions in 1,197 combat hours.
Once the squadron left port on the Roosevelt, they did not step foot on land again for 159 days, setting a modern-day endurance record for uninterrupted days at sea. Overall, they spent 172 days at sea.
The Rooks also were the first Prowler squadron to use night vision devices in their combat operations over Afghanistan. The squadron logged a total of 747 hours using the new device.
The general mission of the Prowler is to intercept and jam the enemy’s radar, in order to provide support for U.S. fighter jets.
