USS Cole returns home after six months at sea

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY.com) -- 275 sailors stationed aboard the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Cole are finally home.

USS Cole pulled into Naval Station Norfolk Friday morning.

The Cole is certainly a historic ship, rebuilt after the deadly terror attack in 2000.  During this deployment, the Cole made history again, but this time only good news came from overseas.

During their six months at sea, the men and women on board did something no one else in the US NAVY has done.

"It's never happened before that a US ship has sailed under or with a foreign nation's battle group," says Lieutenant Commander Michael Pfarrer.

Over the phone, Pfarrer described what it was like to sail with ships from Spain, France, and England.

"The British are very good at several warfare areas. We are very good at several warfare areas and we integrated that all toward a common goal for a common purpose."

Every country has a different way of doing things, and Pfarrer says there was a pretty big issue they worked hard to overcome.

"The British love having their meals at one o'clock in the afternoon whereas we had our meals at 11 o'clock."

Don't let him fool you.  A lot more was going on than dinner.

"We exercised air defense, mine warfare, amphibious landings."

Through their practice, a new place in history was made permanent.

"The friendships and the partnerships that we developed over the last five months were outstanding."

WAVY.com will be pierside during the Cole homecoming and we'll have updates for you throughout the day.