When U.S. Army Private 1st Class Jonele Westgate phoned her brother, Decas Elementary third-grader Logan Westgate, on Tuesday morning, she told him she was beginning her workday at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

"I talked to Logan at 8:00 this morning and lied to him and said I was in formation," Jonele Westgate, 21, said with a grin.

Imagine Logan's surprise when his big sister burst through the door of his classroom in her uniform, home for a two-week leave after spending a year in Afghanistan with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division.

"Sissy!" Logan yelled.

"You're so big!" Jonele replied before the two collapsed into a teary hug.

A 2009 Wareham High School graduate, Jonele has served in the Army for the past two years. She celebrated her 21st birthday in Afghanistan in May.

"I'm quite proud of her," said John Westgate, who picked up his daughter at T.F. Green International Airport in Providence and drove straight to Decas Elementary to surprise his youngest son.

Jonele comes from a military family. John has spent more than 30 years serving his country in the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. He served during Desert Storm. John's father served 26 years, including in active duty in Korea, and Jonele's great-uncle landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day during World War II.

"We're kind of groomed to go," John said, adding: "Jonele's doing things that I wish I had done."

John's oldest son, Caleb, appears to be following the same track. The Wareham High School freshman is an active member of the school's JROTC program.

It was tough for the family to keep the surprise homecoming a secret from Logan.

When their mother, Michele, passed away in 2006, Jonele and the young Logan became very close, John recalled.

"Jonele became more than a big sister to him," said John. "She became like a mother."

At Decas, Jonele presented Logan with an American flag, which was flown over Afghanistan in a helicopter. It was given to Decas Elementary along with a photo of the flag in the helicopter.

The presentation was particularly special for Decas Elementary Principal Christine Panarese, who taught Jonele 7th grade math at Wareham Middle School. Panarese has her own military ties -- she was a member of the U.S. Air Force.

Logan beamed as he listened to his big sister tell all of his classmates about her service in Afghanistan.

"You shower with the people you work with, eat with the people you work with, sleep with the people you work with," Jonele explained. "You're with the same people all the time, and that can get on your nerves, but it teaches you to..."

Logan finished her sentence: "...work with your friends. It teaches you to work with your friends."

Jonele also answered some pressing questions, such as, "Do you use bazookas?"

"I don't use bazookas, no," Jonele replied. "I stay around the aircraft."

Logan excitedly chatted as he flipped through money that Jonele had brought back from Afghanistan, while she attempted to answer questions.

"Hush!" Jonele told her brother.

"I'm sorry," Logan said with a laugh. "I'm surprised!"

The pair wasn't immediately sure what the plans for Jonele's stay would entail. Jonele and Logan have weekly "date nights" whenever she is home, she explained.

Last year, when Jonele was home for Christmas, the pair visited Monster Mini Golf in Fairhaven and topped off the fun with dinner at Friendly's.

"Oh yeah!" Logan said as he recalled that evening, before quickly adding: "We're going to laser tag!"