Army mom does her best to hug her children when she’s deployed in Syria. Then, after 10 months of separation in tear-jerking videos, they are reunited in tears.

  • A mother-of-3 recorded her giving a reunion hug to herself before she returned home 
  • Laura Strzelecki (33) was in Syria on a deployment and maintained her spirit with video
  • After 10 months of separation, her emotional reunion with her children is captured in this footage 
  • Mrs Strzelecki claims she was “fighting back tears” the whole way home to her family 










One mother of a military family practiced how to hug her children while she was deployed in Syria. She then cried when she was finally reunited with them.

Laura Strzelecki (33), a Iowan, started training in Fort Bliss, Texas, last year, before going to Syria where she will be deployed for eight months. 

Grace was 13 and Grace is six years old. Abigail and Arnold are three and three respectively. Grace kept dreaming about her reunion and she decided to start preparing for that day.

This footage was shared by the mom-of-three in a video that showed her practicing an imaginary hug to prepare for when she and her three children would be together at home in Hawaii.  

Laura Strzelecki, 33, who is originally from Iowa but now lives in Hawaii, practiced the moment she would be able to hug her children whilst she was on deployment in Syria

Laura Strzelecki (33) is originally from Iowa and now lives in Hawaii. While deployed to Syria, she practiced hugging her children.

She kept dreaming of her reunion with her children, Grace, 13, Arnold, six, and Abigail, three, and decided to prepare for when she could wrap them in her arms

It was Grace, 13 years old, Arnold, 6 and Abigail, 3 that she kept imagining. She decided to make preparations for the day when they could be wrapped in her arms.

She headed off to training at Fort Bliss in Texas last year before heading to Syria for an eight-month deployment

Before heading to Syria, where she will be stationed for eight months, she began training at Fort Bliss in Texas.

Mother Strzelecki, who was in Syria for her surprise on September 25, returned to Syria with the intention of surprising her children.

When she got on the plane she stated, “Just about landing – My children don’t understand.” Let’s be surprised! 

The moment is finally here, and she can be seen shedding tears as she prepares for her return flight to Hawaii. 

Mrs Strzelecki went to Spirit Halloween, Aiea for her reunion surprise that she’d been planning for over ten months.  

Laura stated that she was “fighting back tears” before being able walk toward her children and hug them again. 

She later shared a video of the moment online and received an outpouring of positive messages from across the world. 

On September 25, Mrs Strzelecki left Syria to surprise her children by coming home to see them

In surprise of her children, Mrs Strzelecki fled Syria on September 25th to come home to be with them.

Mrs Strzelecki headed to the kids' favorite store, Spirit Halloween in Aiea, for the reunion surprise she had been planning for ten months

For the reunion surprise Mrs Strzelecki had planned for ten years, she went to Spirit Halloween, Aiea.

Laura spoke out about the reunion and said that she had to hold back tears all the way. “I almost broke down on the flight to Spirit and then again at the airport. 

“All that work to see my kids grow so much during my absence. I couldn’t even squat down all the time because my children were so tall. It took them a while to see that it was me. 

“Watching their tears well up as they watched the moment it clicked, made me cry. My littlest one had difficulty getting in but she was still able to be carried around throughout the store.

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