THE MILITARY FAMILY: Volunteer photo brigade seals family memories during holiday deployments

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK, Colo. (KRDO) - A chorus of cheerful volunteers gathered on a sweaty October day at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, cameras at the ready, to capture families whose fathers and mothers are deployed over the holidays.

"Look over here, Josephine!"

"I see you!  I see you!"

"Peek-a-boo!"

The one-day event drew dozens of families for a free photo shoot, organized by the non-profit group, Deployed Love.

"As we say, we pinky-promise to be there for you before, during, and after deployments, because that's where you build that tribe or village, as you would say," according to Ren Stout, one of the organizers. 

This is the fifth year for Deployed Love to serve those at Ft. Carson, though five other military installations offer the service. 

"In Alaska, we did multiple back-to-back-to back deployments.  There was probably four years that my husband was barely ever home, and I had five little kids. I wish this would have been around back then because you spend a lot of money on holiday photos," said Jennifer Vaughn, who also coordinates events for the group.

For Casey Cantrell, whose husband has been deployed since this spring, the service is welcomed.

"Sometimes with all the hustle and bustle of everything going on, with our husbands or spouses gone, you don't think about family photos," said Cantrell.

So much change has happened in her children (Johnny, age 4, and Cora, age 1) while her husband has been deployed all these months.  And while they FaceTime "a lot," according to Cantrell, there's something special about having a still photo of their children.

"All these ladies out here, they are absolutely God-sent.  They are so sweet," smiled Cantrell.

Getting involved was an easy sell for volunteer photographer, Jeanine Acevedo, whose husband was also deployed last year.

"I totally have a soft spot for these families without their dad or their mom that's gone right now.  I love the candid shots because they're smiling and laughing and being their silly selves because that's who they are -- I want to show their personality through the photo."

If you are interested in volunteering or contributing, contact Deployed Love at communicationmanager@deployedlove.org.