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779th Medical Group critical care nurse has surprise family reunion

  • Published
  • By Aletha Frost
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
Washington (AFDW) --  Tears, hugs, and screams of excitement filled a Gaithersburg, Md., restaurant Jan. 10, 2012, as U.S. Air Force Capt. Cherissa Jackson's family gathered to welcome her home from a six-month deployment.

Kentucky Fried Chicken gave one military family an emotional and unexpected reunion, showing that home truly is where the heart is. The 17-year-old twin daughters of Jackson arrived at the Baltimore-area restaurant expecting to help KFC employees assemble gift packages, only to receive a surprise when Jackson herself walked out of the kitchen. Jackson, an Air Force critical care nurse assigned to the 779th Medical Group, Joint Base Andrews, Md., was deployed to Afghanistan last June.

"This welcoming home event was designed for KFC to kick off a year of giving," said Rick Maynard, KFC Public Relations Manager. "We couldn't have selected a better family with a better story than the Jacksons. We hope the event will inspire others to do things big or small to support the military."

To top it off, KFC gave the family another surprise. Jackson's daughters, who are high school seniors and excellent students, were both awarded $20,000 college scholarships from KFC. The scholarship donation from KFC was especially meaningful for Jackson, a single mom who noted that one reason she joined the military more than 20 years ago was so her parents wouldn't have to pay for her college education.

"When I entered the military, my parents had paid for three of my sisters to go to college," she said. "I saw their struggle and didn't want for them to do that for me when there were other avenues to get my education."

The Jackson family reunion was filled with one surprise after another.

While Jackson knew she would be surprising her two daughters, she wasn't aware that other members of her family - including her father, mother and sister - would also be there for the reunion, flying from South Carolina and Florida to take part in her homecoming.

"My girls are my rock. It's never easy being away from family, and the recent holiday season made it even harder," says Jackson. "I simply couldn't wait to see my daughters and give them the biggest hug. It feels so good to be back together again. Seeing my parents and sister made the homecoming even sweeter."