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Permanently on parade! Soldier returned from Afghanistan to find he'd been on a simultaneous tour of duty at home after his friends took a cardboard cutout of him to weddings and parties so he wouldn't feel left out
US soldier sergeant Aaron Mast, 29, spent nine months in Afghanistan
He had a cardboard cutout of himself made for wedding he would miss
Friend's then took the model to every major event he couldn't attend
The cutout went to weddings, birthdays, and Halloween events
Daily Mail
By SAM MATTHEW FOR MAILONLINE
23 December 2014

Soldier Aaron Mast thought he had missed out on nine months of weddings, birthday parties and even Christmas while serving in Afghanistan.

But when the 29-year-old returned he discovered he had been on a simultaneous tour of duty at home after his friends took a cardboard stand-in of him to every big event.

Mr Mast had made the cutout for a friend's wedding that he couldn't make, but he was shocked to learn it became a project for his friends and family.

''It really sucked being away from my friends and family for such a long time and I hated missing out on big events like weddings and birthdays,' said the solider from Dover, Delaware, said.

'But I had no idea that it would turn into such an amazing project for all my friends and family to keep me in their thoughts while I was away.'

After enlisting in 2003, Mr Mast served two tours in Iraq, the first in 2005 and the second in 2008. Last March he was due to go overseas for his third tour as a sergeant in a communications unit when he realised he would be away for the marriage of his good friends Christina and JJ.

Fed up of missing out on wedding photos, Mr Mast decided to have cardboard cut-out of himself made and left it in the care of his friends so he could still feature in the snaps on their big day.
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