Protocol? What protocol? Adorable moment three-year-old interrupts homecoming procession to hug his mother after her nine-month tour of Afghanistan
- National Guard of Chisholm, Minn., ordered not to talk to family on arrival
- They stood awaiting orders after returning from 9-month Afghanistan tour
- But Connor Waldvogel, 3, reduced line to smiles as he rushed to hug mom
- It is the first time in 18 months both his military parents are together
It was the emotional moment these soldiers had dreamed of for nine months in Afghanistan: to finally be dismissed so they could see their families.
But as they dutifully waited in line to receive orders, three-year-old Cooper Waldvogel took charge.
Ignoring the strict military protocol, he ran up to the troops and into the arms of his mom Kathryn, a member of the National Guard.
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Heart-warming: Kathryn Waldvogel, 25, dropped her military stance to cuddle three-year-old Connor after returning to Chisholm, Minnesota, from a nine-month tour with the National Guard in Afghanistan on Tuesday
The line of uniformed officers from Chisholm, Minnesota, tried desperately to keep straight faces as the touching display reduced many to tearful smiles and laughter.
But 25-year-old Kathryn could do nothing to contain her excitement.
'I was longing to hold him, that's all I thought about,' Ms Waldvogel told USA Today.
'It just melts my heart'.
The troops who served with the National Guard's 114th Transportation Company had been ordered not to interact with family members as they stood in line.
Video courtesy of KARE 11
Delight: The troops had been told not to interact with family members but Connor took charge of the event
Family life: Kathryn and Cooper had spent nine months living together alone while Adam Waldvogel was on tour
Ecstatic: Kathryn said she could not stop thinking about Cooper as she got closer to being discharged
This moment, however, was the first time in 18 months little Cooper would have both his parents together.
His father Adam returned from his nine-month tour in Afghanistan with the 850th Horizontal Engineers in December.
And Cooper could not wait a second longer.
The family will now be based together in Chisholm for the foreseeable future, so they can all make up for lost time.
Athletic: This is the moment Kathryn was awarded a medal for taking part in this year's Boston Marathon
Ms Waldvogel's regiment - known colloquially as The Wolfpack - spent almost a year moving equipment to close bases.
There were no combat casualties during the tour.
Since 2001, more than 25,000 Minnesota National Guard members have been deployed, serving in more than 33 countries worldwide, according to the Minnesota National Guard.
As of September 7, there were more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen in the state’s National Guard.
Of those men and women, about 600 soldiers and airmen, including the 114th Transportation Company, were deployed in support on the war on terrorism.
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