Soldier father surprises daughter at softball game in Brookfield

BROOKFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- A soldier father who just returned from Kuwait surprised his 7-year-old daughter Sunday at her championship softball game in suburban Brookfield.

Staff Sgt. Adam Isdale, who hadn't been home since February, arrived just in time for the game.

He stood in as pitcher as his daughter, Aubree, was at the plate.

When she recognized him, she threw the bat down and ran into his arms.

Aubree, who turns 8 this week, was completely surprised. Dad said it was the best hug he's ever received.

"She was completely oblivious," Isdale said. "My wife did a pretty good job, and a friend of the family did a good job, setting this thing up. Aubree had no idea that I was going to be here today."

For the rest of the game, she made several trips from the dugout to give her dad another hug.

Isdale's wife and 18-month-old son were in on the surprise.

However, his mother was not.

"It's bittersweet when you see that," said mother Carol Isdale. "He's back in the United States and I always feel like I breathe totally different when he's back on U.S. soil."

Isdale has served for 12 years and been deployed to all the Middle East hot spots for months at a time. He is currently stationed in Hawaii, but his family had to stay behind in the Chicago area.

"It is tough, but we all have sacrifices, and that's just one that you have to make sometimes," Isdale said.

In the end, Aubree's team won the league championship on Sunday.

The family will have two weeks together to celebrate before Isdale returns to Hawaii. However, in about a month, the whole family will move to Fort Stewart in Georgia.