All the admiration and respect shown to the men and women who serve in the armed services of the country are well deserved.

They voluntarily put themselves in danger by going to the front lines, frequently in hostile environments. But their families may find their frequently prolonged deployments difficult.

Eli, a 7-year-old boy, is seen in a YouTube video expressing his genuine, unrestrained excitement and gladness after spotting his military father.

U.S. National Guard member Sgt. Perry Chronister had been separated from his family for approximately a year. He served in the Middle East, according to the video.

Perry intended to surprise Eli with his arrival when he got back to the US. But in order to do that, he required some assistance from his son’s elementary school.

Tiger is the mascot of Eli’s primary school in Ohio. The second-grader had no idea, though, that the man in the outfit was his father.

In the video, we see the tiger enter the classroom and then quickly kneel in front of Eli. Eli leaps

on his father, hugs him, and throws him to the ground as Perry takes off his disguise for the big reveal.

Eli’s expression speaks volumes about how happy he is to have his father back in his life. Both the father and the boy will remember that moment fondly for the rest of their lives.

A instructor tries to explain the issue to the other students for those who may have been confused by what they have just seen.