In a moment that has since gone viral, a Florida soldier recently returned home early and surprised his family, who were in the middle of a photo shoot.

Meaning, the whole thing was caught on camera.

On Father’s Day, Kristin McKenzie planned to take photos with her three kids at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base, according to reporting from WFLA.

As the photographer snapped the photos and kept the kid’s attention, Lt. Col. Simon McKenzie, who had been deployed since February, snuck up and surprised his family.

“Look behind, you guys,” photographer Hannah Sanchez told the family.

“Having him come home two months early was such a gift to all our hearts,” Kristin McKenzie told WFLA.

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People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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