22nd MEU welcomes home hundreds of marines

By: Tony Rawlings | WNCT-On Your Side
Published: February 02, 2012
Updated: February 03, 2012 - 2:32 PM

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (WNCT)- Marines across the east are returning home for a second day in a row.

This morning 50 members of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Unit returned with an amphibious landing at Onslow Beach aboard Camp Lejeune.

The returning marines are fresh off a 10 month deployment with the Amphibious Ready Group. During the deployment, the group trained in Djibouti, Africa and helped with support operations in Libya.

This morning's amphibious landing helped bring in tanks, Humvees and 7 ton trucks from the U.S.S. Bataan which is currently 20 miles off the Carolina coast.

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HAVELOCK, N.C.- It was a morning of reunions in Havelock today as pilots from Marine Attack Squadron 231 returned to the east after a 10 month deployment.

Today was awesome for Annabelle and Ellie murphy. They got to see their dad; Major, Mike Murphy for the first time in almost a year.Reuniting with his family was awesome for murphy as well.

"Just very excited to pull into the parking spot here. See my beautiful wife and my two beautiful little girls."

Murphy and his fellow pilots are returning home from a 10 month deployment with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group. During the deployment the group took part in support operations in Libya, training in Djibouti and training with Marines from Spain and Romania.

The 10 month deployment was the second longest since World War II for the Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The returning pilots landed at Cherry Point in AV-8B Harrier Jets, which they flew in from the Aircraft Carrier Bataan, which is currently off the carolina coast. Just the beginning of a weekend of homecomings.

Today's six returning pilots are the first of over 1000 marines and sailors that will return to bases across the east this weekend. The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group deployed march 29th of 2011.