Karis Oglesby, two, was attending the homecoming with her mother and older sister to welcome home her dad who had been deployed for over eight months, when she spotted him from across the room.
Not wanting to wait – and certainly not caring about all the official pish-posh – Karis put on her running shoes and ran full pelt across the floor to give him a hug.
Her homesick dad, 1st Lt. Daniel Oglesby, quickly returned her hug, giving her a peck on the head, before directing tiny Karis back to her mother.
“That moment was about the family, so I figured I’d greet her, give her a kiss on the head, and then tell her I’d meet up with her momentarily after we were done with the presentation,” Lt. Oglesby told Today.com.
“We all understand. That’s their moment. It’s tough on them being away from family for eight-plus months,” he said, “When they finally see them, there aren’t many people who will stand in their way of seeing their parents, and it definitely wasn’t going to be me.”
“That’s the toughest part of the entire job is to be away from the family,” revealed Oglesby, “Having that reunion, it doesn’t make up for the lost time, but it’s definitely a sweet moment to finally be able to see them and embrace them again.”
How sweet!
