Thomas Sawicki and boyfriend Shawn Brier were reunited after seven months apart on Monday, sharing a very special “first kiss”.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Sawicki and his loyal partner were the first same-sex couple selected for the ceremonial first kiss at Naval Base Point Loma, marking the homecoming of Submarine warship USS San Francisco.
Families of officers who lined the docks to welcome home their loved ones cheered loudly for the embrace.
“Everyone was cheering for me when they announced it over email,” Sawicki said. “Everyone was very excited, very supportive, very happy.”
Brier confessed to being nervous about the occasion, saying: “I don’t want to screw it up and fall in the water or something!”
Speaking to NBC San Diego, The American Military Partner Association praised the choice, describing it as a milestone for “modern military families.”
AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack said: “Since the repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, we’ve made tremendous progress as a community and as a nation in our pursuit of liberty and justice for all Americans.”
“Although we still have progress to make, moments like these remind us just how far we’ve come.”
