Sapulpa police officer on deployment is keeping himself close during the holidays

As the wives, husbands and children of deployed servicemen and women know, having your loved one overseas during this time of year can be rough. While most families are enjoying their time together and posting status updates of family photos, there are others who do their best to enjoy the times, but are painfully aware that someone is missing.

Randal Arnold, who normally serves the Sapulpa Police Department, has another calling as Technical Seargeant for the United States Air Force.

He’s been in Southwest Asia since late July, and isn’t due to return home until February.

For Lacy Taylor, Arnold’s fiancè, the adjustment is tough.

“It has been really hard on both me and the kids,” Taylor says. Arnold has two children from a previous marriage, aged 8 and 9 years old. “We do have the privilege of getting to talk with him everyday. We pray for him daily and send him a care package at least 3 times a month.”

Taylor, who is to be married to Randal Arnold in October 2017,  says “The thing that keeps our spirits up is planning our wedding and all the memories we will make with the kids when he returns.”

Still, she admits that she wish that day were now. “We miss him terribly we aren’t complete without him. A piece of our hearts are thousands of miles away,” she says.

For all that she and the children do to keep their father close, Arnold reciprocates in spades.

“He sends me roses every week at work and chocolate covered strawberries to share with the girls I work with,” she says. “Even with him miles away he never stops showing me how much he loves me.”

Arnold also purchased stuffed camels for his children, with his voice recorded on them, so they could hear him whenever they wanted.

And though the heart aches, the experience is not completely new to Taylor.

“I grew up as a police officer’s daughter, and always understood the life of law enforcement and what it meant for your loved one to put their life on the line,” she said. “But having Randy continuously putting his life on the line is amazing to me.”

He is willing to sacrifice everything not only for his community, but for his country as well and that says a whole lot about what an amazing man he is.”