After Months Away, Military Dad Comes Home to Reunite with Wife and 3 Sons: 'Really Special' (Exclusive)
At first, the reunion was supposed to be a surprise, but David tells PEOPLE the logistics of getting home from Chile proved too complicated
McElliott Family
A military family recently reconnected — along with 50 other families — in the Texas Hill Country
The McElliott family includes David, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, his wife Jennifer and their three sons, Connor, 14, Keegan, 12, and Colton, 5
While David has served in the military, the McElliotts have lived in California, Alabama, Florida, Washington and Texas — and they even spent a six-month stint in Italy
For the McElliotts, spending time together is all about the little things.
The Texas-based military family of five — David, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, his wife Jennifer, and their three sons, Connor, 14, Keegan, 12, and Colton, 5 — was recently reunited when David, who had been away for six months, came home for a brief visit to San Antonio.
At first, the reunion was supposed to be a surprise. But then the logistics of getting David home from Chile proved too complicated, he tells PEOPLE.
After returning to a houseful of “sleepy boys” late one night last month, the crew set out a few days later to make the most of their time together by taking part in the "Proud to Honor: Bronco Off-Roadeo" event, which was sponsored by Blue Star Families and Ford, in the Texas Hill Country.
Related: Military Dad Surprises His Son at School in 'Heartwarming' Reunion Video: 'It Meant Everything'
The McElliotts didn’t waste any time bonding at the weekend event, where 49 other veterans and their loved ones embarked on an off-road adventure.
“I think it's always good to meet other families just because you have that common bond of moving so often, being in the military,” David, 50, tells PEOPLE.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
That’s certainly been part of the McElliott family’s story. Since David and Jennifer married in 2009, they've moved nine times as David has been deployed to Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America.
McElliott Family
As a family, they’ve lived in California, Alabama, Florida, Washington and Texas, and they even spent a six-month stint in Rome, Italy. In 2021, youngest son Colton attended three schools alone.
Now, as David’s career in the military winds down — he’s scheduled to retire in 2027 — the family is recalibrating and remembering what it means to be together.
“David’s missed a lot, Connor's eighth grade promotion ceremony, and he missed Keegan's fifth grade graduation last year because he wasn't home,” Jennifer, 47, says. “It is really hard to find a family photo of all five of us. Often, he’s not in them."
"That's challenging," she adds. "But these kind of experiences to come back to are really nice. They're really special.”
Over that weekend, the McElliott boys and their parents interacted with other families as they shared meals and took in the scenic Central Texas landscape. Of course, there was also room on the agenda for having fun.
“The hit was the 1.3 mile racetrack that was set up like a rally racing course with hairpin turns,” David tells PEOPLE. “And you got to go on there as basically as fast as you could drive the kids.”
Inspired by Blue Star Families’ “Do Your Part” initiative, which is dedicated to improving the lives of military families, the event “further reinforces Ford’s commitment to veterans and military families,” according to the auto company.
Related: Man Recreates 30-Year-Old Photo with His Dad Alongside His Look-Alike Son: 'I Just Had to Do It'
“I think they have been an amazing, amazing organization to be a part of,” Jennifer tells PEOPLE. “I just I couldn't believe the things that they offer.”
As for the weekend in the Hill Country, it was a memory that the McElliotts say they will cherish.
Adds David, "I think everybody had a good time driving the Broncos around and it was a good way to kind of reconnect now that I'm almost at the end of my tour."
