NATIONAL CITY (KGTV) \u2014 A National City mother is preparing to welcome her son home on Thusday, after he’s been at sea for more than 300 days aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n
For Rocina, the homecoming is about more than seeing her son again. She wants people to understand what sailors have endured during the deployment, particularly as conditions aboard the carrier have drawn public attention and criticism.<\/p>\n
Rocina is using only her first name because she wants to protect her son\u2019s identity. This was her son’s first deployment, and she said after earning his Bachelor of Science degree, he decided to join the Navy to help further his education and career.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Rocina started preparing one of her son\u2019s favorite meals: birria.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018What do you want to eat now? Your dad wants a taquero,\u2019\u201d Rocina recalled. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018No, I want Mommy\u2019s cooking.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
She is also preparing a welcome-home celebration for him and his fellow sailors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I spoke to my son, I said, \u2018Why don’t you bring someone that has no one,\u2019\u201d Rocina said. \u201cAfter all the struggle, they deserve a decent meal to eat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The meal carries extra meaning because of a conversation Rocina had with her son during the 320-day deployment that worried her for months.<\/p>\n
She asked him if he had eaten.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018No. We’re not eating good.'”<\/p>\n
Rocina said her son told her he noticed changes in his body because he was primarily eating carbohydrates and protein.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you’re lacking food or eating poorly, how are you going to provide a good service to the Navy?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rocina cannot share details about her son\u2019s job aboard the carrier. But she said he works in an area where he has limited access to sunlight and only a few opportunities to get outside for fresh air. She said his shifts can last 16 to 18 hours.<\/p>\n