peace and help him to his next step. we re in front of the 9/11 memorial. what does it mean to you as a veteran? to me, this right here is what brought in a lot of the guys that were coaching me or brought me up as who i was as a soldier. i was in for a total of five years. i was medically retired. i did one tour to afghanistan and one to syria. it was the calling of something i was going to do. he was promoted on the battlefield to sergeant out there. there s been plenty of times i had messages when something happened that it was blackout and you didn t know if your child was okay or not. it was terrible. terrible experience for a parent. but we made it through. and we supported him together. ever since he was little, i always remembered him. my grandparents would buy him army uniforms and he would run around in them. he has a brother serving in the marines. my daddies a cop. i m a cop. it s having the law enforcement background.
drawdown of u.s. troops, we met many of them who have sacrificed time with family, who have put their own lives in danger. lieutenant colonel jill moss from coudersport, pennsylvania. her family back home. she is here. she speaks dari with the afghans. you re able to form better relationships with them, and in this culture it just means a great deal. captain carly costello from marietta, georgia. i remember i remember 9/11. i was in seventh grade when it happened and my brother was in fifth grade and that night that it happened, my brother always wanted to be a marine. honestly he s my inspiration for why i want to be out here. is your brother serving now too? he is, yes, sir. both of you were inspired by that day? both of us. reporter: master sergeant kyle leonard who enlisted at 17. he thinks of his young family back home and wrigley field, where through the years he has used his military i.d. to get in. my family is something that you really think of, and you hav
reporter: a visit from santa claus turned into a special delivery for these two minnesota sisters. daddy. reporter: their father, a soldier in kuwait, surprised his daughters in time for christmas. it is among the many reunions caught on camera with military members and families this holiday season. a wisconsin boy s older brother serving in the army. there s your brother. what s up? reporter: surprised him at school with a big hug after five months apart. the soldier then marched down the hall to his other sister and brother. it made me feel warm inside. reporter: in this video, a little boy opens a large christmas gift. p whwhat do you think it is? i don t know. reporter: inside the box is a loved one in military fatigues. the person who posted this video
here is polo sandoval. what would you like for christmas? my dad to come home. reporter: turned into a special delivery for these sisters. their father, a soldier, stationed in kuwait, surprised his daughters in time for christmas. it is among the many emotional reunions caught on camera with military members and families this holiday season. a wisconsin boy s older brother serving in the army. there s your brother. what s up, buddy? reporter: surprised him at school with a big hug after five months apart. the soldier then marched down the hall to his other brother and sister. it made me feel warm. reporter: a little boy presented with the large christmas gift. what do you think it is? i don t know. i think you will like it. reporter: inside the box is a loved one in military fatigues.
favorite christmas song? there s no place like home for the holidays. and that is certainly true for some u.s. service members just ahead of christmas. happy to sing that song for sure. cnn s polo sandoval has more now on these amazing, heart-warming reunions taking the internet by storm. reporter: a visit to santa claus so, what would you like for christmas? for my dad to come home. oh. reporter: turned into a special delivery for these two minnesota sisters. daddy! reporter: their father, a soldier stationed in kuwait surprised his daughters just in time for christmas. it s among the many emotional reunions caught on camera between military members and their families this holiday season. wisconsin boy s older brother serving in the army there s your brother. what s up, buddy.