STAFFORD, Va. — The Army dad of a local fourth grader surprised his daughter Monday morning when he showed up at a school assembly to greet her after arriving home from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Park Ridge Elementary School fourth grader Katie Mount headed to a school assembly expecting to receive a free frozen yogurt treat with her class. She didn’t know it was a setup.
As Katie turned to face the audience as she was instructed, someone began tapping her on her shoulder. She turned around to find her dad, Brent Mount. The two hugged and Katie buried her face into his chest and began to cry.
“It was the best thing I’ve had happen in a while, so I’m glad I did it,” Mount said.
Katie’s parents said they had a tough time keeping the surprise from their daughter.
Tears of joy! A fourth grader is surprised by her dad's early return from Afghanistan after being deployed for 6 months. @WTOP pic.twitter.com/g0PGY9emrc
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewartWTOP) January 29, 2018
Army dad surprises his sweet baby girl! Katie Mount didn't expect her dad home yet. But Mom & Dad pulled a fast one. Brent Mount showed up at Katie's school... Park Ridge E.S. in Stafford after just returning from a 6-month deployment to Afghanistan. Tears of joy! @WTOP pic.twitter.com/NCppj830qs
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewartWTOP) January 29, 2018
Mom Kelly Mount and her friend Cassandra Bailey are at a school assembly at Park Ridge Elementary School in Stafford. Kelly and army dad Brent Mount pulled off a surprise homecoming. Dad has been deployed to Afghanistan for past six months. Heartwarming homecoming! @WTOP pic.twitter.com/FzjzTWRPGe
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewartWTOP) January 29, 2018
4th grader was lured into a school assembly thinking she was getting frozen yogurt. It turns out she was getting back her military dad who had been deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months. @WTOP pic.twitter.com/SjJeEpXWYk
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewartWTOP) January 29, 2018
Before the surprise, Katie’s mom predicted that her daughter wouldn’t cry and even Katie’s dad wasn’t expecting tears.
“I didn’t expect her to cry. She cried a little bit,” Mount said.
The 37-year-old chief warrant officer was emotional too.
“I wasn’t expecting to get that way. But this is my little angle right here,” Mount said.
Katie, a girl of few words, she said she was “happy” and “excited” to have her dad back home. She said it was hard being without him for the last six months.
She sniffled as she said, “It was sad.”
Mount, a cyber operations technician, said this was his second, six-month deployment to Afghanistan. And he believes it will be his final deployment.
He first deployed during his 12.5 years with the Air Force. He joined the Army about three years ago.
