MANCHESTER – Saying goodbye to a son or daughter deploying overseas can be one of life's most difficult moments, but Richard Jones of Amherst says the staff at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport recently made that moment a little easier for his family.

Jones and his wife, Beth, went to the airport about 5 a.m. Wednesday to see off their son, Dustin, who is on his way to Afghanistan. A sniper with the Marine Corps, Dustin Jones was heading back to his base in Hawaii and is slated to officially deploy this weekend.

Jones said it was an emotional farewell, something the staff at the airport must have noticed. After he and his wife watched their son walk through security, they were approached by a Transportation Security Administration officer who asked whether their son was deploying.

"They could tell through her expression of despair and horror, with tears running down her face, someone knew something was up," said Jones.

The officer then told the Joneses they could get passes from the airline counter to accompany their son to the gate if he is deploying overseas.

"We didn't ask anybody. We didn't even know you could do this," said Jones. "To me, that's someone acting above and beyond."

The couple rushed over to the Southwest Airlines desk, where they were quickly given passes to the gate. At the TSA security checkpoint, they were allowed to bypass the line and were ushered through, Jones said.

Marine Dustin Jones of Amherst got a few extra moments with his family on a recent flight from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, thanks to some warmhearted TSA officers. (COURTESY)

"You could see in their faces they knew what was going on. It wasn't just one person," said Jones.

The compassion from staff didn't end at security, Jones said. At the gate, the Southwest staff announced that in honor of Veterans Day, they would be letting all military personnel, past and present, on the plane first to thank them for their service.

Jones said as they turned to leave after their son got on his plane, another TSA officer approached his wife, leaned in and gave her a hug.

"They couldn't have been nicer and more empathetic," Jones said. "I hope that happens to other families."

Ann Davis, spokesperson for the TSA, said it's their policy to let families accompany military service members being deployed to the boarding gate or greet them upon arrival. Families simply need to contact airline staff at the airport for more information about proper local procedures.

"Many of our officers either were in the military or serve in some capacity, so we are very appreciative of their service, and we'll certainly go out of our way to make sure their experience with TSA is a good one," said Davis. Security is their top priority, but "certainly we want passengers to leave the checkpoint with a good impression of the work force," she said.

Manchester-Boston Deputy Director Brian O'Neil said the airport is lucky to have a great staff, the vast majority of whom live in the Greater Manchester area.

"We're certainly proud of the young men and women from the area who are serving the country and if we can make their send-off special for the family, we would do that," said O'Neil.

Jones said this is the second time he's watched his son leave for an overseas deployment. Last year, Dustin was sent to Iraq. Knowing your son is heading into harm's way can be a very emotional experience, Jones said, but the staff's extra effort helped take the stress out the day.

"I don't think this would have happened at Logan Airport," said Jones. "Maybe it's the New Hampshire way. If not, it should be."