Being away in the military can be extremely hard, not just for the soldier but for their family as well.

Army Sergeant Cody Schuler has been deployed for nearly a year, which means he hasn't seen his son, Kayden, in that long as well.

The year apart has been really tough, especially for Kayden who isn't quite old enough to understand why his dad is gone for so long.

Photo: YouTube/TODAY

When it was finally time for Schuler to return home, he knew he wanted to plan as special surprise for Kayden. He decided to hide in a giant gift box.

When the two-year-old noticed the giant wrapped box, he thought it was just a regular present for him, but he had no idea what it was.

Photo: YouTube/TODAY

First he tried unwrapping the box, then he started knocking on it. He told them to open it up, and upon lifting the box up, the best present he could've ever asked for was revealed.

Standing there in full uniform was his father, who Kayden was shocked to see.

Photo: YouTube/TODAY

He immediately started jumping up and down with joy while donning the biggest smile on his face. Then he ran in for a huge hug.

Now the two will spend as much time as possible together, especially since they have an entire year to make up on.

Watch the heartwarming surprise reunion in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW5jbaYaeSg