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Sgt. Knowles surprises his children with early return from Afghanistan deployment

Montana Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Brian Knowles returned to Montana last week, making his way to Malta last Wednesday, and though many of his family and friends knew he would be returning to Big Sky Country after spending a year in Afghanistan, two of the most important people in his life had no idea he was in town.

Brooklynn and Trevor Knowles, ages 11 and 9, are both students at Malta Elementary School. Both children knew their father was coming home from his latest military tour soon, but they didn't know exactly when. Sgt. Knowles stopped by the PCN office that morning to renew his newspaper subscription and spoke about his plans for the afternoon.

"I have tried to lay low and stay off their radar," he said. "They have no idea I am here, and I am going to surprise them. They don't think I am coming home until next week."

Sgt. Knowles will celebrate his 19th year in the National Guard this February, he was in Iraq in 2004-05, and last year in Afghanistan, he ran a Non-commissioned Officers Academy where he was the senior instructor. Course study at the academy included a basic leadership course and it was the first-ever holding the classes in a combat zone.

"We taught roughly 1,200 soldiers with just eight instructors and me," Sgt. Knowles said.

First stop for the surprise at Malta Elementary was Brooklynn's class where she and her classmates were busy reading. Sgt. Knowles snuck up behind her and tapped her on the back. Brooklyn turned around, saw her father, and the two hugged for the next minute, her with tears in her eyes.

"I had no idea," Brooklynn said. "It's a good day."

Trevor, who celebrated his birthday on January 26 (and thought his father would be home that day instead of Wednesday) was up next as he and his classmates were in music class. Sgt. Knowles, with Brooklynn in tow, snuck behind Trevor, tapped him on the back and Trevor rose to hug his father before all three embraced. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, Trevor said he just wanted his dad to come home.

"I was surprised," Trevor said. "He said he was coming home on my birthday, but this is better."

The three planned to head home from school, pack some bags and head to Townsend, Mont., which is where Sgt. Knowles calls home, where the three would spend the weekend together.

"They are both very tall, and very big," Sgt. Knowles said after not seeing his children in person for a year. "They just keep getting taller and taller."

 

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