( CNN ) There are countless organizations devoted to sending letters and care packages to troops overseas , but for one deployed airman , it was about sending a little bit of overseas to his kids at home . Zackary Trissell of Oklahoma 's Air National Guard returned home Tuesday from a nine-month deployment at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait , but he 's been corresponding with his three stepchildren with the help of a cherished childhood toy and a camera . Trissell was given three Lego figurines before he left by his stepson Matthew , who has muscular dystrophy . Matthew said the Legos represented him and his siblings . His older brother also lives with muscular dystrophy . `` ( Matthew ) said if he could walk and was n't in a wheelchair , that he would have joined the military , '' his mother , Linda Trissell , told CNN affiliate KOCO . While stationed in Kuwait , Zackary Trissell decided to have a little fun with the toys and started snapping them in full military mode , whether in front of a Humvee or with pilots in a cockpit . He included captions like `` Hey , Matthew ! This one 's for you ! '' and `` Boots on the ground baby ! ! ! '' `` The kids got a kick out of it , so it was a way I kind of kept connected with them while I was gone , '' Trissell said upon his arrival home , after embracing his wife . `` They need support getting through this deployment , just like we do over there . ''
An airman sent his stepson a Lego-based photo series while deployed . A Marine Corps veteran shared photos of himself in uniform with the caption, “Proud to be an American and proud to serve my country.”