All I Want For Christmas By HMS OCEAN

Here's the vid blurb from the YouTube description:

After lots of time away last year (214 days) -- planned for 7 week deployment exercise with other nations

Diverted to Libya and further operations

Back 9 Dec after 7½ months away - 225 days with 176 at sea

400 people onboard (at peak during the amphibious exercises just under 900 onboard but approx 650 during Op Ellamy)

Steamed just over 40,000 miles

Burned approx 6,000 tonnes of fuel

Operated 16 different type of aircraft off the deck

Realities of deploying:

  • 15 babies born while the ship has been away (fathers did get home to see mum and baby)
  • 5 people were sent home so they didn't miss their own weddings.
  • 1 sailor whose son's third birthday is on homecoming. Family meeting ship

Ships company have missed:

  • Summer holidays. 
  • Children's exam results
  • Children finishing school and starting university
  • The Padre missed his daughter's graduation.

The ship's company made a Christmas DVD when they heard they would be home for Christmas.

Susan notes: My favourite part is the lie-down wish at the end :)


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