It was an emotional reunion for Army private Hannah Foraker and her elderly dog Buddy.
Foraker, 21, left her Ohio home on Sept. 9 to begin basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
It was a big change from her "sheltered" upbringing in Cleveland, she told TODAY.com.
"I have never been away from home before, so this was a huge deal for me," Foraker, who is currently a biomedical equipment specialist at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, said in an email.
Basic combat training was 10 grueling weeks, something Foraker described as one of the hardest things she's ever done in her life.
"It's truly a character building experience and makes you appreciate the little things in life," she said.
Making it harder was the fact that she had to say goodbye to one important family member: her 13-year-old golden retriever and best friend since childhood.
"It pulled at my heartstrings, to say goodbye, though having never actually left home before I didn't realize the importance of giving proper goodbyes," she said.
Army private Hannah Foraker and her dog, Buddy, had an emotional reunion after she returned from basic training.
The two shared an emotional reunion over Christmas, and a video Foraker recently posted of the moment has gone viral, with more than 1.7 million views.
"Buddy was so overwhelmed that she just collapsed in pure happiness," Foraker said. "We were apart for [more than three] months, so the reunion was such a beautiful experience."
The joyful meetup was made that much sweeter by the fact that the pair spent most of their time together growing up.
Their excursions included camping, swimming at the beach, makeshift agility courses in the back yard, hiking, walks and car rides just for fun.
When they finally came back together, both Foraker and Buddy could barely contain their excitement.
Fuente: www.today.com
