Ft. Carson soldier meets daughter for the first time

Every soldier that walks into the events center on Fort Carson for a homecoming shares one thing in common: Each has missed a holiday, an anniversary or if they’re really unlucky…

“I cried a lot. I was really sad that he was going to miss the birth of our kid,” said Maggie Barraclough as she waited for her husband to emerge from the hundreds of soldiers in formation.

Maggie and her husband, Cody, had just found out she was pregnant when he learned he was being deployed to Kuwait…for nine months.

Maggie took weekly pictures, showing her progress as little Olivia Jane grew inside.

“I think it was very hard for him not being there,” Maggie said. “He’s doing it for our family though. He always puts family first.”

But a little over a month after seeing his daughters birth through photos…the first picture perfect moment between father and daughter.

“Kind of a loss for words,” Cody said. “She’s not leaving my arms for awhile.”

He left a wife, and came home to a family.