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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Just another day in the classroom takes an unexpected turn for one local middle schooler.

Airman Dustin Ruland, who has been stationed overseas, returned to the U.S. Thursday to surprise his son.

Mason Ruland, an 8th grader at Russell Middle School in Colorado Springs, did not know his father was coming home. Dustin surprised him during his seventh period Language Arts class.

"I was supposed to be back on the 29th, and it got pushed back a few days," Dustin said.

So he and his wife, Heather, decided not to disclose his new flight plans with their kids.

"That was very hard," Heather said. "Life had to remain normal, and it was kind of like, 'okay can't let the cat out of the bag,'" she said.

Mason said he had no clue his dad would be showing up at his school.

"I can't really explain it," Mason said when asked how it felt to have his dad back home.

Dustin said he has been deployed five or six times, and it never gets any easier.

"It's always just nice coming home, being gone for so long things change, and kids grow up, and just a lot of changes happen," he said.

After surprising Mason the family was off to surprise Mason's older sister at her lacrosse game.