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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A McMullen-Booth Elementary School got a special surprise during her lunch break Tuesday morning.

Cailani Martinez’ father has been deployed for nearly a year in Syria. She didn’t know he had planned to visit her at school on Tuesday morning.

Around 11:30 a.m., Cailani was asked to go on stage with a group of students to talk about Veterans Day. Her father, Cedric Goins, was hiding in a room backstage, and as she was speaking, he came out and surprised her.