Sergeant Bryan Samsel knew there was only one place where he wanted to surprise his wife and kids after being deployed in the Middle East for one year.
"The last big event that we had as a family was [at Dolly Parton's Stampede] when my dad was alive," Samsel told Ozarksfirst.com. "He passed away five years ago ... [It's] monument[al] just coming back here as a family."
Samsel said he "wanted to do something special" for his wife after spending the year away from home.
"I'm not 100 percent sure [how she'll react]," he admitted to the cameras. "I expect her probably to cry, maybe beat me up."
His wife ended up doing a bit of both in the sweet moment captured on camera.
Samsel was also reunited with his two children, 4-year-old son Axton and 1-year-old daughter Addison.
"I watched her grow up over Facebook," he said.
Watch the family's emotional reunion in the video above.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.