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U.S. Air Force Sgt. surprises family in time for Thanksgiving

Posted at 2:47 PM, Nov 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-23 21:59:30-05

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - As a 19 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, to say that Sgt. Brent Sanders has been through a lot is an understatement.

Today, as he stood in Churchland High School in Portsmouth, his nerves were through the roof.

When News 3 asked if he was nervous, he responded "very nervous."

It was just another school day for his daughter Brieya Sanders, and her step mom, Jennifer!

That is, until he surprised them two weeks early from a seven month long deployment in Kuwait.

"Thank you for coming back home," Jennifer said in tears.

"Just wow. How did he get here?! Why is he here?!" Brieya said.

His homecoming is just in time for Thanksgiving.

"It's the best Thanksgiving ever. We have no food though because I didn't know you were coming!" Jennifer told him.

The surprises didn't end there.

Their next stop was their parents house -- on his mom's birthday.

"I'm so happy! He surprised me!" Sanders' mom, Angela said.

Now that he's home, he has one request for the weekend....

"I'm just glad to be  here with my family... and to watch the Redskins beat Dallas!" he said.