Emotions run high as active-duty pilot returns to surprise his family
Greg Preston used to deliver pizzas. That was before going to flight school and eventually becoming Gregory Preston, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Chinook helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. But his pizza delivery skills came in handy when he surprised his wife and family with an early return from active combat duty in Afghanistan.
Watch the video to see Greg deliver pizza with a side order of surprises to his wife and family.
"My commander had told me somebody wasn't gonna be able to show up to an instructor pilot course slot," says Greg. "I was the only one qualified to go at the time, and he asked me if I wanted it. And so, I said, sure, if we can make it happen. I mean, there's a lot of logistics to get out of Afghanistan, get all the way home."
While Greg awaited further news, he continued with the job in hand, not expecting the paperwork to come through in a hurry. But sooner than expected, he got his new orders; shortly after returning from his latest mission.
"We flew like 7.1 hours trying to, you know, chase down this target, and we never got 'em," says Greg. "And so, we come back at the very end of our duty day, and they tell me, 'Hey, you leave tomorrow morning at 10:00 am,' like 16 hours away."
Throwing his gear together, Greg decided not to tell his wife, Elisa, and daughter, Annabeth, of his early return home. Instead, he asked a friend to pick him up in secret so he could spring a surprise.
"I didn't know what her schedule was," says Greg. "Just, you know, at night, I knew she'd be home cuz of our daughter. So that was a guarantee she'll be there."
Harking back to his former job, Greg pretended to be a pizza delivery man, knocking on the door of his home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a special offer his wife could not refuse.
"I was leaving a Marco Polo message with my best friend slash cousin," says Elisa. "And I was saying, 'Oh, someone's at the door.' And it was dark. I think it was like seven or eight at night. And I opened it, and it was him!"
After reuniting with his wife and young daughter, Greg would head to New York State a few days later to surprise his parents, aunt, and grandmother.
Operation Surprise had been a resounding success.
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