Today I have a guest post from Amanda, a local Spangdahlem photographer, sharing a surprise homecoming story of an Spangdahlem AB military family! I just the image of Scott in the above photo with his unsuspecting family in the foreground!
*Disclaimer – please note that the real names of the family have not been used in this story.
One of the bittersweet aspects of military life is deployment. The bitter side of deployment consists of many things, the most obvious being the long separation. And the sweet part? The reunion, of course! To me, homecomings are an incredible thing to witness. There are so many emotions present; joy to be together again, relief that the separation is finally over, and love, to name a few. To see a family reunited is to be reminded of the incredible strength military families possess. It truly is a magical thing.
The reunion of the Raines family was no different. Scott was deployed to Africa and had just told his wife, Maria, that they extended his deployment for another month. She and their two sons, Aaron, age 15, and Jake, age 9, were disappointed but understanding. The truth was that this was Scott’s first step in arranging a surprise homecoming for his family.
Scott contacted me and asked me to photograph the event. We conjured up a solid plan: he’d tell Maria that he hired me to photograph Aaron playing soccer during a team practice so that he’d have photos for his portfolio. During the practice, I’d pull Aaron out and request a family shot, as “Anyone looking at your portfolio would love to see such a photo, as it shows your family supports your dream.” Scott would come running up from behind, I’d ask the family to stay put as I repositioned myself, Scott would ask them to turn around, and I’d document their reaction.
Seems easy enough, right? It wasn’t. (Is anything ever? ) Jake normally wasn’t at practices, so we had to figure out a plan to get him there. We had to recruit a friend to distract Maria and Jake so they wouldn’t see Scott when he was hiding, and to aid in the execution of the surprise. Scott wanted another friend to videotape the surprise, so we had to figure out a reason she would be at the practice and have a camera in hand. Then there was the reveal itself, and the worrying about Plan B in case our original plan didn’t go as we had hoped. And never mind the fact that I had never taken sports photos to be used in a portfolio.
Despite our nerves, everything worked out perfectly, and these images say it all. Maria, Aaron, and Jake were truly surprised and said as much. All four members of the Raines family were beyond elated to be reunited. They were beaming for days, overwhelmed by the happiness they felt to just be together again, and to have Scott home safely.
Deployments are an inevitable, necessary part of being in the military, and completing the mission is undoubtedly significant. Maybe it’s because I’m a military wife, maybe it’s because I’m a woman, or maybe it’s because I’m a sap, but in my opinion, the feeling of being reunited with a loved one is what makes it all worth it.
Amanda Armsey is a mother and military wife, originally from Michigan. After spending a few years in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, they PCSd to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Shortly after their move, they welcomed their first child into the world. Amanda loves the rolling hills and worn, characteristic homes and buildings in Germany, and is slowly wearing out the shutter on her camera, documenting her adventures around Europe and her daughters sweet smiles.
Photography became a passion of Amandas on her journey to becoming a Spanish teacher. She studied abroad in Argentina during college, and fell in love with the Spanish Colonial architecture. While in Arizona, a photographer friend encouraged Amanda to practice using her camera, frequently telling Amanda that she had an eye for photography. After growing comfortable behind the lens, Amanda decided to purchase one for herself. The hobby turned into a business when the Armseys landed themselves in Germany, as her teaching degree wouldnt serve her well there.
Amanda is a natural light photographer who specializes in families, children, maternity, couples, and homecomings. Check out her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asquaredfoto and her website at http://asquaredfoto.wix.com/a2foto
Aw, how awesome! I love homecomings so much. Love these pictures.
I love homecoming stories, especially when there is a surprise 🙂 It’s such a special time for military families.