Cadets of 9th Regiment, Advanced Camp seeing family members for the first time since coming to Fort Knox. Cadet Summer Training 2018 (Fort Knox, Ky. August 13) Photos by: Jakob Coombes

Standing in formation, 
I wait.
My heart, racing as I stare.
Double doors open like flood gates, 
I am hit. A tidal wave of emotion.

I see you,
the sea of people.
Your smiling face, my beacon.
Guiding me to your warm embrace,
A tight, loving hug,
A tender kiss.

A mother hugs her daughter after their month-long separation. Cadet Summer Training 2018 (Fort Knox, Ky. August 13) Photos by: Jakob Coombes

You choke back tears in your eyes
And tell me how proud you are.
I am exuberant in the moment.
Free.