the military for saving him . `` I 'm not the hero , '' he said . `` The military is the hero . Thank them . '' Watch Phillips thank military , Maersk '' He offered no details of what happened to him during his time as a hostage besides calling it `` indescribable . '' He also took the time to thank crew members on his ship . `` We did it . I told you it was n't going to be ` if ' ; it was going to be ` when , ' '' he said . `` We did what we were trained to do . We 're just seamen . -LSB- We -RSB- do the best with what we 've got , and my crew did an excellent job , and I 'm so proud of them that they 're all home and they 're with their loved ones . '' Watch how crews train for pirate attacks '' He had just completed an 18-hour flight out of Mombasa , Kenya , on a jet owned by Maersk . Family members said they planned to spend some quality time together later Friday at their
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Capt. Richard Phillips , whose capture and dramatic rescue in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Africa last week captivated the nation , returned home to Vermont on Friday . Capt. Richard Phillips says , `` I 'm not the hero . The military is the hero . Thank them . '' Phillips landed shortly after 4:30 p.m. at Burlington International Airport . He was met by family members , who climbed the steps of his plane to greet him . He then strolled across the tarmac with his family , his arm wrapped around his daughter , Mariah , who wiped away tears . `` I just want to thank you for your prayers and support of my family while I was gone , '' Phillips said after landing in Vermont . `` I 'm just a bit part . I 'm a seaman like all the other seamen out there . '' Watch Phillips ' happy homecoming '' Close-up camera shots of Phillips on Friday showed what appeared to be rope burns on his forearms , presumably from being tied by the pirates . Phillips spoke for a short time and mostly thanked