WICHITA FALLS ( KFDX/KJTL ) — A Sheppard Air Force father is returning home from overseas and gets the opportunity to surprise his daughters at their Wichita Falls daycare on Thursday.

“Are you ready for your surprise?” the girls’ mother asks.

“Yeah!” The girls look toward the door of their daycare center as their father walks through. They yell, “Daddy!” and run to greet him, where he picks both girls up and holds them close.

E-7 Master Sergeant Jarrod Eckert returned home to Wichita Falls to see his girls, four-year-old Berkley, and six-year-old Caroline, after being gone to Korea for almost a year.

Eckert said he’s been waiting for this moment ever since he left.

“It was really nice of the daycare to put on a welcome home party for me. And I just couldn’t wait to get through the door and see my girls, thinking about it ever since I left them,” he said. “So it’s great to be back here today and to finally see my babies. Just spend every minute I can with them. Just being in their presence is what I’m here for, what I’m looking forward to. That’s step one.”

Eckert is over aircraft maintenance and has been serving the country for 14 years. his wife, Amanda, is also an E-7 Master Sargeant stationed with him at Sheppard Air Force Base.

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