DRUG-BUSTING GROVES HOME SAFE

PASCAGOULA - "Da-ddy, Da-ddy, Da-ddy," chanted 5-year-old Cheyanne Boomer
as she strained to find her father among the sailors standing on the deck
of the approaching frigate.

"She has been chanting that ever since he left six months ago," said
Aleicha Boomer, mother of the girl who was pining for her daddy,
Electrician's Mate Shawn Boomer.

They were among about 300 family members and friends waiting Wednesday
morning to welcome home the 220-member crew of the guided missile frigate
USS Stephen W. Groves, which docked at Naval Station Pascagoula. The
deployment to the Caribbean to combat the flow of illegal drugs into the
United States ended with four major drug busts. The ship was responsible
for seizing thousands of pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value
of almost $1 billion.

Fighting the war on drugs is in many ways more rewarding than battling
terrorism, said the ship's commander, Tim Werre.

"The nice thing about a cruise like this is we see definite results," Werre
said amid the kissing and hugging on the hello deck of the ship as families
and sweethearts reunited.

"We arrested 33 people and captured a lot of drugs, plus another ship that
scuttled themselves," he said, explaining that the term scuttle means that
the crew of the ship, rather than be captured with illegal drugs, sank
their own ship.

"It's great. You can really measure your success. With the war on
terrorism, it's hard to see results. This you can see, and the crew takes a
lot of pride in what they've accomplished."

The crew visited three foreign ports, in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica,
and made six passes through the Panama Canal.

James Evans was the lucky sailor to win the right to be the first one to
kiss his sweetheart once the ship was secured. His wife of 17 years, Robbie
Evans, carried a large sign that read 'Welcome Home James.'

But her real feelings showed in her tears.

"He's my best friend," she said. "This was the hardest six months of my life."