Wind Advisory
from SAT 12:00 PM MST until SAT 10:00 PM MST, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Kofa, Central La Paz, Aguila Valley, Southeast Yuma County, Gila River Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, Buckeye/Avondale, Cave Creek/New River, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix, North Phoenix/Glendale, New River Mesa, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Rio Verde/Salt River, East Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Superior, Northwest Pinal County, West Pinal County, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Tonto Basin, Mazatzal Mountains, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, San Carlos, Dripping Springs, Globe/Miami, Southeast Gila County

Navy dad surprises son at school in heartwarming reunion

A Central Florida father who has been deployed for nine months gave his son the surprise of a lifetime at his Winter Garden school Friday.  

U.S. Navy Lt. Steve Phillips has been stationed in the Middle East for nine months. Lt. Phillips surprised his sons,  Chase and Jack, during an assembly at Whispering Oak Elementary. 

"I cried because I just didn’t want him to leave," Chase told FOX 35 News.

7f887bab-
reunion-2.jpg

Chase had previously told his mother, Julie, that he has always wanted his dad to walk into his school with his uniform.  On Friday, he got the heartwarming reunion he’s been waiting for.  FOX 35 was there for the homecoming.  When he’s not serving our country, Lt. Phillips works at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. 

"For my second family to be here with the Sheriff’s Office is just icing on the cake. I appreciate it," Lt. Phillips said.

reunion-3.jpg

Sheriff John Mina also had a surprise up his sleeve on Friday, as Sheriff Mina and other fellow officers were there for the special homecoming. 

"We were all to come and share in this joyous occasion and be a part of it, and say hello to him and thank him," Sheriff Mina said.. 

Lt. Phillips will be home for the holidays with his wife and two children, something Chase said makes him "super, duper, duper, duper happy!"  All he wants to do now that his hero is back home is stay by his side.

"Hug him until life is over!" he said.