DVIDS

Brandon Terrette, a signal support systems specialist assigned to Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, hugs his sons, 3-year-old Rylan and 7-month-old Easton during a Cooper Field during Welcome Home ceremony July 6 at Fort Hood, Texas. "Being gone and missing his birth wasn't the easiest thing to deal with, so now that I'm home I get to see him and spend time with him and continue on with our lives." This reunion and meeting was marked by a redeployment ceremony for soldiers assigned to the 4th “Long Knife” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, July 6 at Cooper Field, here. Brandon Terrette, a signal support systems specialist assigned to Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Standing in the back of the formation and in plain view of his wife, Brandon had no idea his family stood just feet away from him. “Being gone and missing his birth wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with so now that I’m home I get to see him and spend time with him and continue on with our lives.”

Brandon, who was deployed for nine months mentoring his Afghan counterparts, said the hardest part was reaching different landmarks with his family such as his son’s birth, first words and the first laugh. “I told him I would give him a couple days but after that, I joked with him I was going to bring the baby to work so he could change him,” Kateri said.

With the Terrette family gathered together and Brandon holding his oldest son, he looked him in the eyes and stated, “I told you I would be home.”