Soldier returns from deployment to surprise wife at Luke Bryan concert

BROOKLYN, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) - United States Army soldier Chris Roelke surprised his wife April in line at the Luke Bryan Farm Tour concert.

Friday’s surprise in Brooklyn, Wisconsin, came nine months after his deployment to Kuwait.

Chris Roelke and his family are from Columbus, and he returned to the states two days ago, one week earlier than his wife would be expecting him home.

He wore his Army apparel and held a sign at the concert that said, “Honey, I’m home! Surprise!”

Concertgoers signed the card as they walked by him.

“She always figures things out. It’s very hard to surprise her,” Chris Roelke said. “So, I’m kind of nervous that we’re actually able to pull it off.”

April Roelke saw her husband from a distance, ran through the field and jumped into his arms in front of hundreds of onlookers who cheered and cried when the pair reunited.

“I kind of looked forward and I was like, ‘Is that... Is that my husband?’” April Roelke said. “I’m ecstatic! I don’t want to let him go.”

April Roelke held onto her husband tightly after the homecoming, only letting go to look at the sign he made and then grabbing his hand.

Chris Roelke has spent 22 years in the service, recently in the Reserves through the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Kuwait for nine months.

This was his third deployment.

He also has seven children and surprised some of them after their football game on Friday.

The couple went to the Luke Bryan concert last year as well right before he was deployed, so this was a full-circle moment.

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