NAS LEMOORE — As two squadrons flew over NAS Lemoore on Thursday, families cheered, cried and hugged one another as a nearly 11-month deployment came to an end.

After the squadrons made their way off their jets, families ran after their loved ones. Fathers picked up their children, spouses kissed for the first time in almost a year, and special moments were shared as families tried to catch up with one another.

Chris Nisch, a maintenance officer and senior pilot for VFA 94, got to hold his seven month old daughter, Emma Joy, for the first time.

“This moment is indescribable,” Nisch said. “The deployment was incredibly hard, incredibly rewarding, but being away from family is incredibly challenging, and meeting my daughter for the first time is harder than anything I ever expected. But the reunion is probably one of the best days of my life.”

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