Julia Martin

NorthJersey.com

Dressed in camouflage fatigues, Army Lt. Elise Pace crouched behind the meat counter of Petracco's Deli in Nutley on Wednesday morning, her heart beating, waiting to ambush two small targets about to enter the store.

The day before, the 31-year-old mom had graduated from officer candidate school at Fort Benning, Georgia; she hadn't seen her sons Jonathan, 7, and Travis, 3, in twelve weeks.

When family members learned she'd been granted a last-minute leave, they hatched a plan for a surprise mother-and-child reunion.

So at 11:30 a.m., the deli's front door swung open and the unsuspecting prey tumbled in with their father, Jonathan Martinez, and grandmother, Lisa Pace.

Pace emerged from her hiding spot and in minutes her boys were in her arms, wearing dazed smiles and covering her with hugs and kisses, while family members and friends recorded the tender moment on their phones from a distance.

"I can't believe I'm here," said Pace." I'm so excited and happy."

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Then another surprise pulled up outside: A bright red Nutley fire engine for the boys to climb on, arranged by family friend Al Petracco, who serves as Nutley's police, fire and ambulance commissioner. Petracco and his wife, Fran, own the deli.

Pace's latest stint is her second with the Army. In 2008 she moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where Martinez, a Marine, was based during his active duty on a Marine Expeditionary Unit.

When he finished his service in 2012, she decided it was her turn.

"I really liked the military lifestyle — the stability, structure and excitement, the community of people, the camaraderie — and wanted it for myself," she said.

She completed basic training, graduating first in her class and overcoming her fear of heights to attend the prestigious Airborne school, where she learned to jump out of planes.

A two-year tour of duty as a medic at Fort Bragg followed.

In 2015, the family returned to civilian life in New Jersey; Travis was born shortly afterward. Martinez started work with the Passaic Valley Water and Sewer Commission and Pace began her master's in counseling at Manhattan College.

But, Pace said, something was missing.

"I was in the National Guard and one weekend during training I realized, 'This is what's missing. I really like doing this every day. This is what I want to do with my life.'"

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In June, Pace started officer candidate school in Fort Benning. At Tuesday's ceremony she received her commission as a second lieutenant. She finished in the top 20 percent of her class and was given the Iron Warrior award for having the highest physical fitness score among the female candidates.

While at Fort Benning, she spoke or Skyped with her sons daily, and they and her husband were supported by Pace's large extended family, which, she says, "stretches from Nutley to Belleville," where Elise grew up and graduated from high school. Her mother cares for the boys when their father is at work.

Still, the 12 weeks apart were rough.

"When we Skyped, they would get very excited and rattle off and tell me everything that's going on," says Elise. "They were little troupers. But when there were pauses I could see in their faces that they missed me."

Travis had an especially tough time getting used to a new teacher without his mom, who'd always accompanied him to school on the first day.

And there's more separation coming.

In two weeks, Pace starts 16 weeks of job specialty training in Fort Lee, Virginia, then she'll be assigned to a base domestically or overseas, where she'll be stationed permanently and her family will live with her.

The uncertainty made Wednesday's reunion all the sweeter. When asked how long it had been since he'd seen his mom, Jonathan replied "since 200 years" and said he missed her “one thousand.”

Three-year-old Travis just kept telling his mom, on repeat, "I love you," maintaining body contact with her at all times.

Pace said while she's home, she'll enjoy "Just spending time with them, just being with them. Sitting here holding them is just..."

"...the best!" Jonathan chimed in.