Op:Love – Bentley Homecoming Sneak Peek

About a month ago, I heard about an awesome organization called Operation: Love ReUnited. Op:Love is an organization where photographers volunteer their time to provide sessions for members of our military and their families. You should take a minute to check out the website. Go on. I’ll wait….

If that site doesn’t make you tear up even a little, you have no soul…or are a robot…or are a robot with no soul. And since I’m pretty sure my blog doesn’t have a big following of robots, especially the soulless type, I am going to guess that a visit to the site gave you a good idea of how awesome a thing it is that this organization does.

So, about six days after I was accepted as a volunteer, I received an email from Jamie. Her fiance was going to be coming home from a year long deployment in Iraq, and she was wondering if I would be able to photograph his homecoming. Heck yeah. So on Sunday, I got to spend a few hours with Jamie and the family of  Sgt. Jared Bentely, as they awaited his homecoming at Camp Pendleton. Here is a sneak peek of some of the images of that day, and there will be a slideshow coming later.

This is Jamie. Jamie and Jared are getting married in September.

This lovely lady is Jared’s mom. She does not look like a woman who has a son old enough to be getting married, does she?

Jared’s family was eagerly awaiting his arrival…and waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

I have learned that these homecomings don’t actually occur on any kind of set time schedule.  I believe I was told “the only four letter word the military doesn’t know…is plan. ” But the wait is well worth it.

Word comes in that they are on base…..

The buses passed and the excitement grew. And then….there was some more waiting. And even more waiting.  And then……

So exactly what would it look like to see a mom, who hasn’t seen her son in a year, finally get to see his face and know he is safe?

Enjoy your time at home Sgt.Bentley!