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U.S. Army Maj. Steven (Matt) Goodwin works in logistics. For the last year, he was deployed to Germany and then Poland, as the division transportation officer for the 1st Armored Division Combat …
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U.S. Army Maj. Steven (Matt) Goodwin works in logistics. For the last year, he was deployed to Germany and then Poland, as the division transportation officer for the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve to support NATO battlegroups in eastern Europe.
In December, he was making sure each soldier in the division had returned home.
However, when it came to his next step he let his wife plan the operation: surprising his daughters with his own return to the United States.
“I let my wife coordinate with the principal to plan the surprise,” he said. “I wanted to surprise all of my kids, and the best opportunity presented itself during my oldest daughter Serenity’s birthday party, which was already planned at school.”
That would be Parkside Elementary School, and just a few days before Christmas break, he walked in, in his battle dress uniform, to surprise his girls who had gathered for the birthday party, along with the other students in the class.
“I was overjoyed to be back with my family,” he said. “My kids have grown so much over the past year, and it was an incredible feeling to see them again.”
His wife, Nicole Moore Goodwin, is from Powell and, Matt said, has followed along with her husband to all of his postings. He joined the Army in 2011 and is currently an Army logistician serving as the 1st Armored Division transportation officer located on Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas. In this role, he’s responsible for planning and executing all strategic movements for the Division’s 18,000 soldiers and their equipment.
But during Matt’s European deployment, Nicole took the opportunity to go back home to a mother-in-law suite on her parent’s property, enrolling their four children, ages 5-9, at Parkside.
“I am deeply grateful to the Powell community for supporting my family during my deployment,” Matt said. “One of the hardest parts of being separated overseas is not being able to care for your family directly. Thanks to the community’s support, my wife and kids were well taken care of, which allowed me to focus on my mission without worrying about their well-being.”
