Airman reunites with family by surprise

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Mother, Constance Besaw; daughter, Staff Sgt. Emma Hicks, 52nd Force Support Squadron; and granddaughter, Zoe Hicks, reunite March 26 at the Spangdahlem School Age Programs building after Hicks returned three weeks early from a deployment to southwest Asia. Besaw works with the base’s information, tickets and travel office and stayed with Zoe throughout Hicks’ deployment. Hicks convinced the Spangdahlem School Age Programs staff to hold a fake meeting between Besaw and Zoe to discuss cartoon drawings, and Hicks snuck into the room to reunite with her family. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee/Released)

Airman reunites with family by surprise

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Constance Besaw hugs her daughter, Staff Sgt. Emma Hicks, 52nd Force Support Squadron, after Hicks’ surprise return from a deployment to southwest Asia. Besaw works with the base’s information, tickets and travel office and stayed with Hick’s daughter, Zoe, throughout the deployment. Hicks convinced the Spangdahlem School Age Programs staff to hold a fake meeting between Besaw and Zoe to discuss cartoon drawings, and Hicks snuck into the room to reunite with her family. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee/Released)

Airman reunites with family by surprise

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Staff Sgt. Emma Hicks, 52nd Force Support Squadron, hugs her daughter, Zoe, at the Spangdahlem School Age Programs building here March 26. Hicks returned three weeks early from her deployment to southwest Asia and surprised her daughter and mother, Constance Besaw. Besaw works with the base’s information, tickets and travel office and stayed with Zoe throughout Hick’s deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee/Released)

Airman reunites with family by surprise

Published March 27, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- An Airmen from the 52nd Force Support Squadron reunited with her family March 26 after returning three weeks early from a deployment to southwest Asia.

Staff Sgt. Emma Hicks deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Squadron Lodging Flight and had been scheming for almost six months on how to surprise her mother, Constance Besaw, and daughter, Zoe.

Besaw works with the base's information, tickets and travel office and had stayed with Zoe throughout the deployment. Zoe, 9, is enrolled in Spangdahlem's School Age Programs.

Hicks found out she would return three weeks earlier than expected, so she convinced the SAP staff to hold a meeting upon her return between Besaw and Zoe as a practical joke. Hicks' plan called for the meeting to discuss fake artwork supposedly drawn by Zoe. When Zoe denied drawing the artwork, Hicks would enter the room to complete the surprise.

"Zoe's such a jokester," Hicks said, "so when I found out I was coming home, I thought it would be neat to play a trick on them."

The day of the surprise, the SAP staff called Besaw during lunchtime to request her presence at the meeting. The staff didn't explain the intent of the meeting, just that it was important.

"I had no idea what this was going to be about," Besaw said. "I didn't know if Zoe was in trouble or had done something bad."

During the meeting, the staff passed around the pages of artwork. Besaw was surprised. Zoe was indignant. Hicks walked into the room and said, "Is there a problem?"

Screams, tears and hugs followed. Someone affably shouted "I hate you!" Hicks laughed and started identifying all of the people who made the surprise possible.

"Our Airmen are special to me," said Maj. Cat Logan, 52nd FSS commander and one of the people involved in the plot. "We do fantastic things every day, and having one of our own coming home from a deployment is an awesome event in any case.

"But this time, it's a dual FSS family," she continued. "I appreciate what they both do for the squadron, and I'm glad the three generations of this family are finally reunited."

There is no better feeling than being home with family, Hicks said.