NORFOLK, VA – Thousands of family and friends braved sub-freezing temperatures on the pier of Norfolk’s Naval Station — watching as the USS Harry S. Truman carried their precious cargo home in time for the holidays.

After seven months of supporting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 6,000 sailors, airmen, and Marines walked off the Truman Monday morning. One hundred-nineteen mothers were waiting to show off newborn babies to fathers who would be meeting them for the first time, most of them bundled so tightly, their faces were revealed only when the dads wanted to get their first look.

Petty Officer Anthony Miller kissed and hugged his wife before taking his month and half old son, Jaden, from her arms. He told us on board the carrier he was nervous and excited to see them, afraid he wouldn’t know what to do.

Several sailors were selected to participate in the “first kiss”. They waited first in line to get off the ship, all of them smelling of cologne. It’s not every day they wear cologne.

Each was given a dozen red roses and then ceremoniously paraded off the ship so the entire crowd could watch them kiss their wives. It was a picture perfect ending to a successful tour.

Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, the ship’s ranking officer, told Fox anytime you bring home every man woman and aircraft without a scratch, it’s a mission well done. Most importantly, Driscoll said, is the sense of accomplishment after having helped troops in the fight. “These troops on the ground in Afghanistan depend on us every day and we have got to be there,” Driscoll said. “We flew 3,000 combat missions and 17,000 flight hours and it’s all to support these folks.”

The Truman now heads to the shipyard in Newport News, VA where it will receive maintenance for the next year. That is unless it’s called up for duty again. The Truman is the strike ready surge carrier, meaning if there’s an emergency that calls for a carrier anywhere in the world, these men and women are all on call. The next scheduled deployment isn’t until February, 2013.