BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - For Josefa Reyes Torres, the ongoing national debate surrounding the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln is not a matter of politics or headlines.

It is her family's daily reality.

As the aircraft carrier finally begins its journey back to the United States, the Bryan mother is counting down the days until she is reunited with her son, Daniel Torres, who has spent the last nine months enduring a grueling deployment at sea."It's been hard," Josefa said.