Petty Officer 2nd Class Jody G. Barnes, of the USS Preble is coming home for the holidays with his new family. For the first time in three years he’ll be celebrating Christmas with his two brothers who serve in the U.S. Air Force.

It has been five years since he has celebrated with his parents. For Jody’s wife, Tiffane, it will be her first Christmas without family.

Barnes gets to “:stand down” Dec. 16, and will drive with his immediate family across the country, including a stop in Danville, Ill., to show off their new daughter and to celebrate the holidays.

Recently, Barnes spent six months in the waters around Iraq on board the Preble, a guided-missile destroyer, as part of a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure team. His job was to assist an armed team as they boarded Iraqi vessels to search for wanted fugitives and other miscellaneous cargo that had been embargoed by either the United Nations or the United States.

Prior to his holiday break, Barnes will have to spend two more weeks at sea as a sonar technician.

“Some people think that the Marine Corps and Army are doing all of the work inside the heart of Iraq, and they are working hard, and they’re paying the price, but the Navy has hidden responsibilities on the coasts, which include stopping arms shipments, firing tomahawk missiles, detecting enemy waterborne craft, and protecting other countries’ merchant interests,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jessica Rygiel.

“We’re also responsible for keeping on our toes in training, which includes fighting shipboard fires, negotiating hostage situations, and a thousand other scenarios that can go against our mission as sailors,” she said.

Being able to go home for the holidays impacts the sailors in several religions: Muslims, Jews, and Christians all have sacred days in December, which are often celebrated with family. For the majority of soldiers, sailors, marines and air force personnel, this season will be spent in the company of their own units and divisions and possibly combat.

However, Barnes said he is thankful.

“I just had my baby daughter, Kylee, on Aug. 17, and some of the family haven’t even seen her,” he said.

Approximately half of the Preble’s crew will be going home for Christmas; however, the rest are needed to run the ship in case of an emergency.

For Barnes’ wife, Tiffane, this will be the first Christmas she’s ever spent without her family. In the Navy, there’s a motto, “The spouse is in the Navy, too.”

There are “duty” days, in which the sailor, regardless if the ship is in port, must work all day and all night on board, serving the needs of the ship.

Engineers have to keep tabs on the heart of the ship – the engine, props, fuel lines. They also stand “watch,” ensuring the security of the ship.

Drills are run, even on Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Practice fires have to be fought, “enemies” that board the ship have to be taken down and maintenance has to be run.

“On an average duty day, I sleep about 3-4 hours,” Rygiel said. “I have to check on all of my sonar gear, in case we have to go underway, in case if anything goes wrong, in addition to other shipboard duties.”

For Barnes, these facts weigh heavily on his mind as he visits several family members on a day that means a lot to him.

“It’s really nice to be able to be at home with my family, some of which I haven’t spent time with in five years,” he said.

Barnes recently re-enlisted in order to serve the Navy.