PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Medium Endurance Cutter Campbell (WMEC 909) and its crew returned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on December 1st following an exhausting and extensive 10-day strategic fisheries patrol, according to a spokesman.

Around 200 family members were waiting at the pier for their loved ones to return after what must have seemed like an eternity. Many were holding enormous “Welcome Home!” signs and once alongside, tears streamed and smiles were abound as crew members and families were reunited.

“While this was one of the most exhausting patrols we’ve ever faced, I don’t believe that the crew ever questioned their own resilience and dedication to duty," said Campbell’s Commanding Officer, Cdr. John Pamatian. "In the United States Coast Guard, it’s our core values that guide us when the sea tests our focus and endurance. I have no doubt the other military services respect the sacrifice these men and women provide when on these almost unendurably long patrols”