Alison Henle, of Toledo, holds a picture of her brother’s family as she is in the Great Clips Marshalltown store where she works. Henle will move to Kansas to help her brother’s family while her brother Aaron is deployed to Afghanistan. (T-R photo by Andrew Potter)

While her brother serves his country in Afghanistan, Alison Henle plans to step up to help his family as she uproots her life in the area.

Henle, 33, of Toledo, works as assistant manager of Great Clips in Marshalltown. Later this month, she will move to Manhattan, Kan. to help her brother Aaron’s family as he prepares to leave to serve as part of his U.S. Army Reserves duty.

“We’re a close family and we’ve always been a close family ” Alison Henle said. “It feels awesome to be able to help.”

Alison said it is sad to leave her friends, family and co-workers in the area, but she looks forward to spending loads of time with Aaron’s wife, Whitney, and the couple’s daughters Ashtyn, 4, and and Kinley,1.

“I love them so much and I want to spend time with them,” Alison Henle said of her nieces. “They are at a really fun playing age.”

Aaron and Whitney are expecting a third daughter this July, so Alison’s helping hands will be needed more than ever.

“I’m super excited for that,” Alison said of the new baby.

Aaron is expected to go to Afghanistan later this year for an approximate 9-month duty on a transportation battalion. He said having Alison at home will help out greatly.

“Just knowing there’s someone else here that’s responsible and loves the girls as much as we do is a great thing,” Aaron Henle said. “And our girls love their aunt.”

He served in Iraq in 2005 but said this tour will be harder now that he has a family. Aaron and Alison are the the children of Rod and Patty Henle, of Toledo.

Alison already has a job lined up at the Great Clips in Manhattan. She said it will no doubt be an emotional 5-hour drive to Kansas later this June as she leaves behind friends to go support her brother’s family. She said when Aaron’s family asked her it was a tough decision to move.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll cry a little bit when I’m driving,” Alison said.

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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com