Home for the holidays

After serving with the Coast Guard for more than a year on a ship in the Arabian Gulf near Bahrain, Andrew Vardakis, of Franklin Square, is finally home.

During his service, he kept patrol as a boatswain, referring to himself as Boatswainmate Vardakis, Second Class, or BN2 Vardakis. His job, he explained, was to stay in charge of small boats, rescue and survival programs. His journey halfway across the world began during his career path as a journalist and photographer. He was the photo editor for two years at the Herald Community Newspapers group before deciding he needed a change.

"I've always been a patriotic person," he said. "After researching the different branches of the armed forces, the Coast Guard stood out to me. Both the Coast Guard and the Air Force are family-oriented, and I thought that was most in line with my life, as I was engaged at that point."

The Vardakis family - that's Andrew with wife, Allison, and daughter, Holly - moved to Annapolis, Md., and he worked with the Coast Guard there until his deployment in 2015. They moved back to live with Allison's family in New Hyde Park, shortly after their second daughter, Sophia, was born. Andrew saw Sophia's birth, and four months later left for his assignment overseas. "It was difficult at times," Allison said, thinking about her husband's deployment. "I had breakdown moments. During this experience, I learned to never be afraid to ask for help."

She was concerned about how everything would work while he was gone, but being around her family and maintaining that close bond helped her and her daughters get through his absence. Her stepsister, Michelle Hintz, helped with the girls, and her stepfather would cook dinner every night.

"I helped Allison while Andrew was away ... by keeping her company and with keeping an eye on the kids," Michelle said. "I helped her around the house with whatever she needed and watched the babies whenever she needed to go out. It was a wonderful experience. I love them so much, watching Sophia growing up especially. That was an amazing feeling because she's so loving and attached to me."

With his deployment training, he was gone for two months before deploying overseas, according to Allison. "He'd had no real time with our youngest daughter," she said. "I was worried she wouldn't know who he was."

Technology helped communication, Andrew said. "Thank God for FaceTime," he said. "Video conferencing was a lifesaver."

His deployment was interesting, Andrew said, enjoying his work on the patrol boats. He was able to visit Kuwait, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He even shot photos for the Coast Guard during his mission. 

"It's interesting how much I learned about my own country while serving over there," he said. "It was a culture shock. I missed and love this country."

The last few weeks were the toughest for Andrew. He spent it training his replacement, but that wasn't the difficult part. "In hindsight it went by pretty quickly, but the last two or three weeks were the longest," he said. "You know your date to come home is approaching."

Now that he is home for a month, he is looking forward to spending time with his family. After that, he will be stationed at Kings Point. He will focus on getting back into search-and-rescue law enforcement. Vardakis will be home for at least four years, working toward a 20-year career in the Coast Guard. Eventually, he would like to be in charge of larger watercrafts or become an officer who oversees a station or a patrol boat. 

"I want to spend quality time with my wife and get to know my daughters again," he said. "My next four years here are a big plus to be back home with my family and friends. 

Andrew said that through his life, whether he worked as a journalist or as a member of the Coast Guard, Allison has been supportive. "She's a pretty strong girl," he said. "She's not had one complaint. I give her a lot of credit. She's done a lot of the hard work."

Outside of missing his family and his home country, he said that he longed for one other thing: "I couldn't wait for New York pizza," he said.