A brother enjoyed a dream reunion with his soldier sibling as he picked up a commendation on his behalf Friday.
Wyatt Bailey, 17, shed tears of joy when his elder brother Kristopher, who he thought was in Korea, made his surprise appearance in full uniform as he accepted the award in front of his class at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita.
The U.S. Army Infantryman was given the Orange County Sheriff's Department award for helping deputies catch a suspected drug dealer as he ran through his neighborhood back in 2013.
"He's a once in a lifetime type of person," Wyatt said, "There's never going to be anyone else like him."
Initially Kristopher thought he was being followed by a patrol car, and instead ended up helping the deputy catch a suspect, tackling the man when he realized what was happening.
"The only thing going through my head was just get this guy, stop him and let the sheriff do the rest," Kristopher said.
Kristopher, wanted to join the army since he was eight, will now enjoy a 15-day break back home with his family before he is stationed in New York.
