Staff Sgt. Mark Mehringer surprised his daughter at her Hoover, Alabama school on Friday after serving nearly a year in Afghanistan.
Madison Mehringer hadn't seen her father since last December.
"I watch these TV shows sometimes, and when little kids see their dads, sometimes I wish it was me," Mehringer said. "And now it is."
Her father says knowing there is love and support back home makes a huge difference for troops deployed overseas.
