Daughter surprised by father after 1 year in Afghanistan

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Blythewood, S.C. (WOLO) – A special Veterans Day event at Blythewood Middle School honored military, and included a surprise visit on Thursday.

Students gathered in the gym to pay tribute to all branches of the military branches. Certificates of appreciation were given to the special guests in attendance.

It even included a soldier surprise for one student whose father, Colonel Rodney Duncan, just returned from Afghanistan.

Duncan was deployed in Afghanistan for almost a year, and his daughter Hailey created a project to help military kids cope with deployments. For the Girl Scouts Silver Award project, Hailey created a map where military kids can  indicate where their loved one is stationed with a push pin.

In April, the Month of the Military Child, Hailey will meet with mental health professionals to discuss resources and tips to help military kids during separations.