By Brenna R. Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Greg Westerkamp of Walton embraces his daughter, Army Pvt. Kristine Timmons, at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Tuesday upon her return on leave from duty in Iraq. (Patrick Reddy photo)

HEBRON - An empty frozen pizza box at his side, Greg Westerkamp paced around an almost empty airport baggage claim area.

Westerkamp, who works for a frozen pizza manufacturer, thought he was picking up a client who would know him by the box.

He had no idea it was all part of an elaborate scheme cooked up by his wife and his employer to get him to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Tuesday for the arrival of his 19-year-old daughter, Army Pvt. Kristine Timmons.

As the tiny woman in desert camouflage walked toward her father, they both began to cry.

"This is great," Westerkamp said, embracing his daughter. "She's been gone since April. It's been a long time."

Timmons, who was stationed in Baghdad with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment based in Fort Polk, La., wanted to surprise her father as she came home for 15 days of leave.

"It's awesome," she said. And as an added bonus, her leave falls over Christmas. "I just got lucky," she said.

"We're going to have a good Christmas," Westerkamp said.

As she hugged her father, family and friends appeared, seeming to emerge out of nowhere.

Her aunt had been hiding in a nearby office, her stepmother downstairs, and others were waiting just outside.

Timmons, a graduate of Amelia High School, knew for about two weeks she was coming home.

"She wanted to surprise her dad if she could," said her stepmother, Janet Westerkamp, who orchestrated the surprise.

She called her husband's boss at Schwan Food Co. in Florence, who told Greg Westerkamp he needed to pick up a client at the airport.

"They said just meet him at the baggage claim area, hold the pizza box up, he'll be looking for the pizza box," she said.

Westerkamp was frustrated because the company wouldn't give him a name. So he kept pressing.

"They gave me a name today, but it wasn't the right name," Westerkamp said.

Timmons plans to spend one week with her mother and sister in Amelia and one week with her father and stepmother in Walton.

"It's the only thing I wanted for Christmas," said Timmons' mother, Sherry Eickenhorst, as she hugged her daughter.

Timmons was also greeted by her 18-year-old sister Nikki Westerkamp, whose T-shirt read, "My sister wears combat boots."

Timmons showed her sister and dad pictures from Iraq, including one of her and fellow soldiers on a fountain at one of Saddam Hussein's palaces.

She also got to swim in one of his pools, she said.

She was still in Baghdad when Saddam was captured.

"I saw it on the news," she said. "I was shocked."

Before she goes back to Iraq in 15 days, her family plans to let her relax in the comfort of home and enjoy all the things she's missed.

First on the list, Penn Station sub sandwiches. And a real bed.

"She wants to sleep in a bed," her father said. "So I guess whatever she wants is what we are going to do."

E-mail bkelly@enquirer.com