As of this September, there are approximately 27,000 United States troops stationed abroad in the Middle East. Most of these soldiers have families back home, and have been stationed for months at a time. This last Friday, Jan. 23rd, one family was able to experience a reunion unlike any other as Sergeant Brian Erola surprised his daughter at the Owatonna High School. After leaving Minnesota in early July, and a short three weeks in Florida training prior to going abroad, Erola has been stationed in Qatar until recent.

During the last hour of the day, Sergeant Erola and his wife Jolene, all pictured to the right, came into the classroom to be reunited once more with their daughter Danielle. From the beginning, the Erola’s knew that they wanted to surprise their kids at school, thinking it would be the best setting. It was a great feeling for the family when the surprise worked out in their favor, because they were not sure if the timing would work out for the surprise.

Some of the moments shared by families of active soldiers are never seen by the public, but luckily Jolene was able to capture this moment on video to share. On behalf of OHS, welcome home, Sergeant Erola. Thank you for your service to our country.