Operation: Love ReUnited captures photos of service members’ homecomings

Cheryl Lucas is part of a charity that does free professional photography, often when a member of the military returns from deployment. On Nov. 21, the camera was turned in the other direction, as her husband, Air Force Capt. Mike Lucas, returned from a six-month deployment.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year. While Cheryl assured her children, 6-year-old Noah, 4-year-old Josh and 3-year-old Addy, that Daddy's plane would be arriving soon, photographer Jennifer Christensen faded back and took candid photos capturing the children's excitement.

"It's always an incredible thing, coming here for these reunions," Christensen said. "It's a really beautiful time."

The group is called Operation: Love ReUnited , a national nonprofit organization with local photographers volunteering their time to shoot homecomings and family portraits.

"The organization was started by a military spouse who realized important moments were being missed," said Cheryl Lucas. "We do pictures before deployment, during deployment and when they come home."

The volunteer photographers provide up to two photography sessions per deployment. The first is a pre-deployment portrait session with the family or during a mid-deployment rest and relaxation break. The first session can also be a send-off session shot documentary-style. The second is always the homecoming.

For the last two years, the homecoming is often accompanied by a group of United Service Organization volunteers, who help family members and photographers cut through the red tape to get to the gate and greet service personnel at McCarran International Airport.

"We usually have four or five volunteers on hand to greet servicemen as they get off the plane," said Doug Bradford, center director for USO Las Vegas. "It's a good feeling when you see the little kids smiling who haven't seen one of their parents for months."

The Lucas children held American flags and homemade signs welcoming their father home. They pressed against the glass looking out on the tarmac as if they could will the plane to taxi in more quickly.

Cheryl Lucas said the number of sessions the photographers take on varies. In the last few months, she said she has averaged about three per month. She said qualifying service members for the photos was pretty simple and that for the most part, if they're deploying, they qualify.

"If it's a case where they're already deployed, we have a session with the family and send a photo album to the service member," she said. "It's something to lift their spirits while they're away."

The Lucases have been married nine years, and during that time, Mike has been deployed 10 times, although most of them were three-month deployments. He is currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base as a member of the 507th Air Defense Aggressor Squadron. Cheryl is a part-time professional portrait photographer. She is also a key member of the local branch of Operation: Love ReUnited.

"The group is going through a little reorganization right now, so I'm not sure what my title will be," she said. "My title used to be regional coordinator, and I'll still be doing the same work, along with being one of the photographers."

As the passengers disembarked, the Lucas children peered excitedly through the sea of legs trying to catch a glimpse of their father. Some of the passengers hung back and waited to see what was happening.

'He's always one of the last ones off the plane," their mother reminded them.

When he finally came up the gangway, the children ran to him, and the airport erupted in spontaneous applause. Cheryl leaned in and hugged her husband, for once at the airport without her camera.

"Welcome home," she said, beaming.

For more information about Operation: Love ReUnited, visit oplove.org.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.