Surprise reunions between family members and deployed Soldiers are an emotional and uplifting experience for everyone who has the opportunity to view them. It is no surprise that Hollywood has created a reality TV series "Coming Home" to highlight these experiences.
Recently Lt. Col. Terry Travis, the 177th Armored Brigade judge advocate, was asked to participate in a reunion between his daughter Elise and her husband Lt. Matt Lyles who has been deployed from Ft. Bliss, Texas since June.
Lifetime network works closely with military organizations such as family readiness groups and selects families and their deployed service members from all branches of the U.S military and sets the stage for surprise reunions. "Rosemary [Travis' wife] in coordination with the family readiness group at Fort. Bliss, submitted information on Matt, Elise and Allie [their 10-month old daughter] to "Coming Home" in hopes they might air the story," said Travis.
The show then contacted Rosemary and indicated they are very interested having the entire family, , come to Fort Bliss, and would also coordinate with Lyles' unit, A Company 1-77 Armored Regiment, for his return to surprise Elise and Allie on national TV, explained Travis.
The producers then contacted Elise about an interview on the trials and tribulations of being a new mother and having your husband deployed. To set the stage for the surprise they asked Elise to assist them in setting up and art gallery of photos highlighting her husband's unit.
"Elise worked extremely hard with the family readiness group and found the pictures that the TV show had requested. She set up the art gallery, and the room was filled with people and photos," said Travis.
Travis went on to say the show's host Matt Rogers then took the microphone and thanked everyone for the work that had been put into the display. During his speech he told Elise he wanted to present her with a gift for her dedication. To her surprise it was a photo of her husband standing at the airport with her family.
"I stared at that photo and was just confused I guess," said Elise. "It was my family at the airport with my husband and then it clicked."
"You could see it in her eyes when it clicked that the photo had to have been taken recently, and when her husband walked in wearing his dress blues everyone was teary eyed," said Travis.
When Rogers asked everyone to welcome Matt into the room, Elise just ran for the door.
"I couldn't believe what they were saying, and the door opened, and there was my husband," said Elise. "For 32 hours I would not let go of his hand, and I just kept touching his face. I had to reassure myself that he was there."
Elise explained she felt lucky to have been raised in a military family and that her father and brother have deployed so she knew the hardships that she was facing with a military spouse.
"I could not imagine being a new mother and facing (your husband's) first deployment," she said. "It is totally different though when it's your husband, the father of your child and your best friend that is gone. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family," said Elise. "My mother was there for me the entire time. She was my support and someone who knew exactly what I was going through."
Travis is unsure of when the episode will air; the season starts on March 11. He was happy to have been a part of such an amazing homecoming.
"It was wonderful to see her face light up like that. Also you have to realize their baby was born in January; he [her husband] deployed in June. The baby has grown so much, and watching them together was amazing," said Travis.
Travis' family is accustomed to the hardships of deployment. Lt. Col. Terry Travis has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan in the last five years, and his son, Spec. Jordan Travis, returned from his deployment in 2010. Lyles' father is also a retired Air Force Colonel.
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