The T Family is an extraordinary family. This past year marked Dad’s fifth (and longest) combat deployment. 5 deployments in 6 years is a long time to be gone from loved ones! It was very important to Mom to have her hero’s homecoming documented and I am honored to have been able to capture it.
The arrival date was a bit of a rollercoaster with constant changes to their departure date in the weeks leading up to the expected timeframe. But a huge snow storm delayed the plane’s takeoff from overseas and the arrival was pushed back several days. If anyone has waited on someone special to come home from a deployment, you know how each minute stretches into an eternity and each setback gets to you.
She finally got a solid date and time (10:30 at night!) and the anticipation started to change to excitement! I got to the hanger about an hour and a half early due to a massive text message about an early arrival that ended up being a false alarm. I enjoyed spending the extra time among all the excited children, dressed up wives, veterans, and fellow teammates. Many of the children, including little A, were tuckered out after a long day. Late night arrival times are rough for little kids!
H was very anxious and kept asking Mom, “Where are they?” “Are they here yet?” and running to the open hanger door to peek out into the darkness. The plane arrived right on schedule and everyone crowded the door waiting on their soldier. Buses pulled up to drive the soldiers the short distance from the plane to the hanger, but our guys were so excited that they bypassed the busses and hurried up the ramp to meet their families. There were kids on all sides of me running past screaming “Daddy!! Daddy!!!” and being caught in their dad’s arms. There is something particularly special about a military child reuniting with their parent, and it makes me smile every time I see it.
Mom was excitedly waiting while holding A. She is short but had some nice heels on to peer over the other people. H was the first to see Dad when he came into view. H ran up to him, threw his arms around his dad, and grew a smile that stayed planted on his face until I left 45 minutes later. A was a little more hesitant but still excited to see her dad in person after such a long time. After she warmed up she wouldn’t let her dad put her down!
I was so happy to be a part of this family’s special day. Thank you T Family for all of your sacrifices for our country! I hope these images convey the happiness and love that radiated from your family and that they bring enjoyment for years to come.
