Dad surprises son after eight months in Iraq
Army Sgt. Jason Brumet hugs his son, Ashton, for the first time since June 21.
MOSES LAKE - When 7-year-old Ashton Brumet hears about a school-parent function at Larson Heights Elementary, he would get sad.
"Ashton talks about his dad a lot, but it's usually, 'Well, my dad's not here, so he can't come,'" said his first-grade teacher, Tana Boole.
But Friday morning was different.
His father, Army Sgt. Jason Brumet from the 25th Infantry Division came home from his third Iraq appointment to surprise his son during the school's annual "Dads Day."
Brumet, 37, has been stationed in the military base Warhorse, roughly 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, since June 21.
Minutes before surprising his son, Brumet described some the emotions racing through his mind after an eight-month absence.
"I'm very excited to see my son. It's been a long eight months," he said.
Brumet arrived in Moses Lake Wednesday night, a day earlier than expected.
Brumet and his wife, Brenda Brumet, decided he would stay at his mother's house until Friday morning.
The two didn't want to spoil the surprise for their son and 14-year-old daughter, Aidan.
"When we heard the school had a day for dads, we wanted to make it special for Ashton," said Jason Brumet.
His wife fabricated a story to their children about going to a party the night before.
"I tell my kids everything, so telling them that part was hard. And I never go to parties, either," recalled Brenda Brumet.
She asked her older daughter to look after her brother while she left for the night, to spend time with her husband.
"But I snuck in at 6 a.m. the next day and made them breakfast and got them ready for school," she said.
The surprise reunion has been a few weeks in the making.
Brumet contacted Ashton's teacher in early February, telling her of the possibility of Ashton's dad coming home soon.
"It's not every day we have children who don't get to see their father for seven to eight months at a time," said Boole, Ashton's teacher.
The two agreed to tell Ashton his grandfather would come to "Dads Day" on Friday.
"The day before, Ashton was saying the same things about his dad, 'Well my dad's not here, so he can't come' but I told him, 'Well your dad wanted to be here, but grandpa will be there instead,'" recalled Boole.
Larson Heights Elementary staff came into Ashton's room to announce dads who had come to participate in "Dads Day."
Then it came time to announce the school's special guest.
Ashton's face lit up as he saw his mother and grandpa enter the room.
But when he saw his dad step away from all of the other dads in the room, his face held a blank expression for a few moments before the emotions of seeing his dad in the flesh became real.
His dad knelt down and held out his arms for his son.
After eight months of waiting, Ashton nervously walked up to his dad.
Ashton reached his small arms around his father's chest and threw his body into the father and son's first hug since June 21.
With a big grin on his face, he whispered the first words into his dad's ear.
"Hi, Dad."
After the hug, Ashton took his dad's hand and led him around the classroom, picking out the book and activity the two would do on Dads Day.
Brumet is in Moses Lake temporarily; he will have to go back to Iraq at the end of the month.
His third Iraq appointment ends in June, when the family plans to move back to Brumet's base station in Hawaii.
In the meanwhile, the family plans to make a trip to the Seattle Aquarium and the Great Wolf Lodge.
Brumet said he plans to hang out, build Legos and play football and soccer with his family.
"It was awesome to see my dad. I thought he was coming back in March," said Ashton after the reunion.