“Esther had contacted me to photograph Billy’s homecoming on the USS Iwo Jima, December 012 in Norfolk Virginia…the problem is, I live in Maryland. I decided I would drive down the day before and cover another homecoming (the USS Eisenhower) since there were many ships coming in for Christmas and a shortage of OpLove photographers.

Billy had been deployed for 9 months and his daughter is 18 months so he had been gone half of her life. To my surprise we actually got to board the USS Iwo Jima and the homecoming took place in the belly of the huge assault ship. When we boarded, we were led to one side and saw Billy standing at attention and the 10 minutes we had to stand there before Billy and Esther could actually unite seemed like an eternity.”

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“This session was rushed due to weather and a pushed up departure date, but the couple is just the cutest and they brought along their 4 legged family member.”

Interested in volunteering with Operation Love Reunited? Great! You can find more information and apply here.

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“This lovely young couple contacted me this winter for a last minute pre-deployment session. Although they had eloped years ago, they only recently celebrated a formal wedding with a sweet vow renewal ceremony. Unfortunately they had been unable to secure a photographer for the event, and hadn’t had professional photos taken in years. They are from nearby Lexington (a little more than an hour from Cincinnati) and we found a gorgeous little park halfway. We definitely lucked out with a warm, sunny day in January! I’m so thankful to be able to give them a bit of my time and a lifetime of memories.”

Thank you Cara for sharing this awesome session with us! Interested in seeing your images featured on our blog? Submit your session here.

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“This wonderful couple were unable to find a OpLove in their local area and actually traveled to Beaufort for the photo session. Timing became limited because the deployment departure date had been moved up. It is actually raining lightly throughout the beginning of the session and later we got caught in a downpour. The couple was very thankful and were a blast to get some great pictures for them to cherish.”

The post Ashleigh Howell Photography | Featured Session appeared first on Operation: Love ReUnited.

{Image by Clicking Through Life}

“But I’m not an Oplove Photographer yet!” No problem!! All you have to do is apply here, and then you can submit your session to be featured on the blog once you’re an approved Operation Love Reunited Photographer.

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In September I had the honor of being at the homecoming of Josh, the daddy of Keegan and Killian, who I photographed with their mom, Lauren, last spring.  Josh had been deployed overseas for months and months.  To say that they were excited to see him is an understatement.

It was very exciting, and intense, to be there for the homecoming.  All the families from Josh’s squadron were there, waiting for their husbands, dads, sons and brothers.  We waited in a hangar on the base until the word came that the planes were coming in.  We all came out onto the airstrip and watched the planes fly over the hangar, everyone was waving American flags and yelling, Lauren was pointing up to the planes, telling Keegan and Killian that daddy was in one of them.

The planes landed and lined up, and everyone waited (not so patiently this time!) until the propellers turned off.  Then those plane doors opened, the soldiers started to come out, and then all the kids and wives ran to meet them.  Josh scooped Keegan up in his arms and held on tight, with the biggest smile on his face.  It was so wonderful to see this beautiful family reunited at last.

While we were taking some photos next to one of the planes, out of nowhere, three year old Keegan put his hand on his Josh’s face and just stared at him, as if in disbelief that his daddy was really there.  I will never forget this moment for as long as I live.

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The post Featured Homecoming from Miranda Corbell Photography appeared first on Operation: Love ReUnited.

This summer, three American veterans and a small film crew will bicycle across the nation–from Washington State to Washington, D.C. During this four month, four-thousand mile journey we aim to document the healing power the road provides as these national heros face the personal challenges that only a bike can heal . Along the way, we will visit military bases, VAMCs, and veterans organizations, asking other veterans the urgent question: what can we do as a nation to serve our troops as they come home?

If you or anyone you know is a vet that would like to be considered for this life-changing experience, please go to www.longroadhomeproject.com

Projected Route

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