Many families are reunited for the holidays after President Obama began pulling troops out of Iraq this year.
That’s the case for one Surfside Beach family.
Dennis McCoy has served in the Army for 7 years. He has been deployed to Iraq 3 times. For his most recent deployment, he expected to stay for a year.
When President Obama started to pull troops out of Iraq, McCoy’s plans changed.
"In early November we thought we might be coming back," said McCoy.
His deployment cut short, McCoy returned to Fort Bliss where he's stationed in Texas.
That’s where he was given the rare opportunity to return home to the Palmetto State in time for Christmas.
"One year we may celebrate Christmas in January because he's not here for Christmas day, or we may celebrate it the week before,” said McCoy’s mother, Cindy McCoy.
“It's just the way I’ve trained myself,” she said.
This year is the first time in several years McCoy has been in his Surfside Beach home for Christmas, but he says he does not mind being away for the holidays. He says being apart from family during the holidays is part of the job.
"I enjoy being home, but I enlisted to be deployed, and knowing that it’s a possibility and it could happen all the time. It's like any other job when you're expected to do something, you just do it,” said McCoy.
“Once you become a family in the military, that's what you're used to,” he said.
McCoy also says he is not exactly thrilled about his short deployment.
"I had multiple things planned out for the duration of a year, so I didn't get to really accomplish everything I wanted to,” said McCoy.
“But, I know it's for the better of their country and not just ours," he said.
McCoy’s mother says she's glad to have her family together on Christmas day, but her mind is not completely at ease.
"I’m blessed because he's home, but I have friends of mine whose mothers and fathers aren't home,” said Cindy McCoy.
“And, there are others who are stationed all over the world that aren't here this year for Christmas, and we need to remember them, too,” she said.
McCoy will enjoy this Christmas with his family at the beach, but he will not forget his other family members spread all over the world.
McCoy will spend 30 days at his home in Surfside Beach before he will travel back to Fort Bliss in Texas.
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