It has become common to see soldiers surprise their families at sporting events.
Mary Russell had seen the scene before. The family is recognized on the field for their loved one's service, then surprised as he or she returns home early.
The returns are heartwarming.
But never did Russell think she would be part of such an event, not even when the Razorbacks invited her and her husband, David, to come onto the field at AT&T Stadium last weekend in Arlington, Texas.
With Arkansas cheerleaders on one side and Arkansas' inflatable mascot Boss Hog on the other, the Russells beamed with pride as the public address announcer described their son's work in the U.S. Air Force. On the field with them was a U.S. flag that had flown with him on his missions in the Arabian Peninsula.
Then an Arkansas worker tapped the mascot on the chest, eye-level with the person inside. Boss Hog deflated and out stepped Channing Caudill, Russell's 21-year-old son who was home early after nearly six months at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Caudill smiled. Mary Russell cried. The crowd roared.
"I was just totally overwhelmed," Russell said. "For a mom to go six months without seeing her child, no matter how old they are, they're always your baby. I was so thrilled to be able to hug my son. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
The reunion was actually delayed a week. Caudill had planned to be back for Arkansas' game against Texas State on Sept. 17 and surprise his parents as part of the Razorbacks' military appreciation night.
The Russells' daughter and son-in-law convinced them to come to Fayetteville that night for their first Razorbacks game.
"She told me they had won tickets," Russell said.
When that reunion effort fell through, Arkansas officials reached out to the Russells and said they had received the flag from Caudill and wanted to recognize his service on the field during the Texas A&M game. The Russells drove to Arlington from their home in Wickes, near DeQueen in southwest Arkansas.
Despite the series of unusual events, Russell said she had no idea her son would be there. He wasn't scheduled to return home from Qatar until at least October.
The surprise was genuine. The video proves that.
"I never imagined that he could have pulled something to that extreme off," Russell said, "or that the university would have cared enough about a kid from Wickes, Arkansas, to help him pull off a surprise like that."
Caudill has spent the past six months working with NATO forces in B-52s above places like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Still, stepping on the field in front of 67,000 people tested his nerves.
"Beforehand I wasn't nervous at all, but as we started to walk out on the field I got a little bit nervous," Caudill said. "They showed a picture of my flag up above and I could hear the crowd start clapping, and it got pretty loud. Then when I came out of the suit, it almost started shaking a little bit because both sides — the Texas A&M and Arkansas sides — got so loud.
"My mom didn't even see me for a second when I came out of the suit. Then I said, 'Hey,' and she turned around and saw me. It was pretty exciting. There was a lot of energy and nerves."
Caudill will spend the rest of this week in Arkansas before leaving for Shreveport, La., next week. He will be stationed there at Barksdale Air Force Base.
He said he may make a career of the Air Force but is taking online college courses and may pursue a career in sports medicine, sports management or coaching.
"He love sports and loves the Razorbacks," Russell said. "He listens to podcasts about them every day. That's what kept him going when he was overseas. He wanted to give them the flag as a way to say thank you."
This will never get old. 🇺🇸🇺🇸https://t.co/Syu8AVDh2w
— Arkansas Razorbacks (@ArkRazorbacks) September 27, 2016