A Marine holds his son for the first time during a deployment homecoming aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Oct. 15, 2016. More than 120 Marines with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 returned after a six-month deployment with the United States Central Command aboard Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. According to Lt. Col. Paul K. Johnson III, commanding officer for VMAQ-4, the Marines conducted electronic warfare and disrupted ISIS communications in Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. This deployment was the last that VMAQ-4 will participate in because the squadron is scheduled to be deactivated in the summer of 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mackenzie Gibson/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Mackenzie Gibson

Families and Friends welcome VMAQ-4 Marines from deployment

16 Oct 2016 | Lance Cpl. Mackenzie Gibson Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --

Friends and family members welcomed home Marines with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Oct. 10 and 15.

On Oct. 10, More than 20 air crew members with the unit returned after a six-month deployment with United States Central Command to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Days later, the final group of approximately 30 maintenance Marines returned from the deployment as well.

According to Lt. Col. Paul K. Johnson III, commanding officer for VMAQ-4, the Marines conducted electronic warfare and disrupted ISIS communications in Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

“We deployed with 30 days of notice and showed up with no support in place,” said Johnson. “We were able to get up and running very quickly, and, in the end, we provided over two-thirds of the electronic warfare support to CENTCOM.”

This deployment was the last that VMAQ-4 will participate in because the squadron is scheduled to be deactivated in the summer of 2017.