photo essay: the return
Jenni Schaeffer recieves a text message from her fiance, deployed corpsman Jeff Stone, who is arriving at Camp Pendleton that afternoon after a six month deployment in Okinawa, Japan. His text informs her that his group has landed in San Diego and they are headed to Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego county.
The families of the deployed were informed of the approximate time of arrival and their location, but there were no exact ETA. As a result a small crowd gathered, filled with the expectant families waiting on the arrival of their deployed loved ones.
Jenni received a text from her fiance, Corpsman Jeff Stone, that their convoy has crossed through the gates of Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA. The staging area is about a hour drive into Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base.
Tears filling her eyes, Jenni can barely withhold her excitement as knowledge of her fiance's proximity marks the end to a long and arduous journey for the couple.
White school buses filled with the deployed troops slowly drive into the staging area, in front of the awaiting crowd.
Jenni waits for Jeff while he checks out with his commanding officer before heading home with his fiance.
