Soldier temporarily returns from war in Israel to spend time with family

A Fort Myers husband and father has returned home after going overseas to save hostages in Israel.

On Sunday, Logan Alef, his wife Sarah, and his daughter Lilah were together as a family for the first time in what felt like forever.

“I’m right here, and it’s great to be here. Great to be back,” Alef said.

• RELATED: Fort Myers man fighting Hamas overseas as soldier casualties rise

Alef returned to Fort Myers to surprise Sarah and Lilah for her 5th birthday.

Right after Hamas attacked Israel, Alef left his family behind to go to Israel to fight. Sarah said she had difficulty coming to terms with Alef’s leaving.

“I definitely didn’t want it to happen,” Sarah said, “tried to stop it for a little bit. Ultimately realized that it was gonna happen anyway, but it was very hard. It was a very, very hard first week, for sure.”

Sarah knows her husband’s decision was difficult, too, but he said he knew his wife and daughter would be safe in Southwest Florida, and he had to go defend his family in Israel.

“I was in the special forces counterterrorism unit. I’m back in the same group with a couple of my good friends, and it’s just something we have to do. It’s a duty,” Alef said.

Alef is going back to Israel to fight the terrorists again next week. They both know it will be hard, probably harder the second time around.

He will keep in contact with his family to remind himself of the life of the wife and daughter he gets to come home to when, he says, the bad guys are gone.

Alef and his wife said they will try to spend this Thanksgiving week not thinking about what comes next, and they’re going to treasure every moment together.