Dad surprises daughters after 10-month deployment

VISTA, Ca. - Petty Officer First Class Cody Cowley sits excitedly inside Springs Charter School as he waits to surprise his two young daughters during a class assembly.

Cowley is the Master-at-Arms in charge of law enforcement and security on board the U-S-S Abraham Lincoln, which set a world record for the longest deployment since the cold war. 

He’s been gone since April and wanted to do something that his family would remember forever.

“We’re a charter school. We’re close to Camp Pendleton. We have, you know, several military families and one of our dad’s contacted us over the break in February to stage a surprise for his daughters.

Cowley’s daughters, Lillian and Lennon aren’t expecting him for another week.

“I was taken aback by the whole thing because I didn’t think he was that good to be able to keep something from me,” said wife Katie Cowley. “We’ve known each other since we were 14, so we were best friends throughout high school and everything. So to, for him to be able to keep it and not let it spill, I’m very proud of him.”

As children waved small American flags, Crowley appeared from the back of the room and his daughters ran into his arms in a mix of hugs and tears.