The wife and two young children of a U.S. Army sergeant who had been deployed in Afghanistan received a heartwarming surprise during Tuesday night's State of the Union address.
President Donald Trump drew attention to the sacrifices made by Amy Williams and her daughter Elliana, 6, and son Rowan, 3, before letting them know they had a special visitor.
"I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment, and he is here with us tonight,” Trump said. "We couldn’t keep him waiting any longer."
Trump welcomed Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams of the 82nd Airborne Division, who hadn't seen his family for seven months.
Williams walked down the stairs into the chamber, hugged his children and shared a sweet kiss with his wife.
She held back tears as members of Congress from both parties showered them with applause and cheers.
The surprise reunion came after Trump spoke about how Amy Williams "works full time, and volunteers countless hours helping other military families."
"Amy, your family's sacrifice makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and peace, and we want to thank you,'' Trump said.
The sweet moment marked a striking break from bipartisan rancor during the speech.
The Army celebrated the moment with the Williams family, tweeting from its official account that they "represent our great Army families & the sacrifices they make on behalf of the nation. We are honored to have Soldiers like Williams in our ranks."