Over the last two years, USS The Sullivans unknowingly formed an unexpected friendship between Stephanie Vanmeter and Mikayla Sarratori.
“It is a lot of mental resiliency throughout their crew. We build resiliency doing hard things, and this crew works together as a team, as a family,” said Cpt. James Diefenderfer.No matter how long they’ve been gone these reunions between sailors and their families can bring tears to your eyes.
“When he left the last time, she was really tiny, and really didn’t move and do anything. Now she has a personality, she is interacting,” Sarratori said.They even gave birth to their daughters around the same time during the second deployment. On Sunday, they met each other in person for the first time and welcomed their husbands home.
“It is definitely a blessing having the support from back home. It helps me get through every day,” Ezekiel Vanmeter said.