Sgt. Nathan E. Person kisses his wife Amanda after returning home to the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., July 31, 2009, from a seven-month deployment at sea with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. A detachment of approximately 100 Marines and six AV-8B Harrier jets from Marine Attack Squadron 214 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 set sail Jan. 9, 2009, from San Diego aboard the USS Boxer. The highlight of the deployment was the MEU's participation in counter-piracy operations off the coast of Africa near Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. The VMA-214 pilots used the Harriers for surveillance and reconnaissance, according to Capt. Michael Maddock, pilot. The aircraft's targeting pod cameras enabled pilots to gather valuable imagery of suspected pirate vessels. Person, a 27-year-old native of Newton, Kan., is a Harrier electrical technician with VMA-214. The remainder of VMA-214 is currently deployed to Afghanistan. The last time VMA-214 served with a Marine expeditionary unit was in 2007 when the Black Sheep traveled to Japan to link up with the 31st MEU.