Move Over Times Square Couple, This Might Be The Hottest Kiss In Military History

This week, naval officer Thomas Sawicki and his partner Shawn Brier became the first same-sex couple in history to share the ceremonial first kiss aboard a military vessel returning from service since "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was repealed over four years ago. According to NBC San Diego (link below), the couple hadn't seen one another in seven months, adding to the poignancy of the moment.

Families lined the dock awaiting the arrival of husbands, sons, dads and brothers returning from a seven-month stint in the Western Pacific.

"Everyone was cheering for me when they announced it over email," Sawicki said. "Everyone was very excited, very supportive, very happy."

The seven-month WestPac deployment was the first for the couple. Sawicki's boyfriend said he was nervous.

"I don't want to screw it up and fall in the water or something," Brier said.

The American Military Partner Association, a support network for LGBT couples in the military, praised the choice as a milestone for "modern military families."

"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," said the American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "Although we still have progress to make, moments like these remind us just how far we've come."

Via NBC San Diego