When Gabriel got to his class at Summerdale Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois, he couldn't have expected the surprise that awaited him. How could he? His dad, Airman Marco Ramos, was supposed to be deployed and far away from his family.
The two hadn't seen each other in eight months.
So when the airman came back home, he wanted to surprise his son — and to make sure their reunion was as special and memorable as possible.
"The whole reason I joined was for him, so it's nice to finally… mission complete: going back to him," Airman Ramos said.
Mission complete, indeed!
And military lingo was appropriate for the day, as Gabriel and the rest of his classmates were engaged in a military-like exercise that morning. Whenever their teacher yelled "About face!" the kids would turn around, and then back again.
Of course, that set up the perfect opportunity for the airman to make his entrance!
And so, after one "about face," (even though not all the kids were on the same page) Gabriel turned around and saw his dad.
Unlike many other reunion videos, where a person might have an extremely emotional or over-the-top reaction, young Gabriel's surprise manifested itself in a wide, adorable smile.
"It's my dad!" he exclaimed before running to embrace him.
Check out this reunion in the video below, and please SHARE it on Facebook!
