I Want Mommy : Moment 3 Year-Old Interrupts Protocol at Homecoming Procession To Welcome His Mom

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.

'I was longing to hold him, that's all I thought about,' Ms Waldvogel told USA Today.
'It just melts my heart'.

See pics after the cut

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.

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.  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.

Mailonline