President Barack Obama ended his 10-day winter vacation with his family Monday, departing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam aboard Air Force One.

Several dozen service members and their families were gathered on the tarmac to bid Obama and first lady Michelle Obama farewell.

Chief Terry Thomas of Headquarters Pacific Air Forces said it was an honor to see Obama and felt a special kinship with the president as a native of Chicago, where Obama served as a U.S. senator. Thomas, 46, finally got access to greet Obama after trying three times.

His wife, Serena Thomas, said they had tried to see Obama at a rally with 20,000 people in Virginia and barely got a glimpse of him. While her husband was stationed in Virginia, they unsuccessfully tried to visit the White House.

"Finally, I can’t believe it," she said. "It must be destiny."

One 7-year-old who came to see the president off was planning to write about Obama for a school report on what she did over the winter break.

With an eye on the 2012 campaign, Obama wrapped up the low-key Hawaii vacation and planned to quickly get back in front of voters as he ratchets up his bid for re-election.

After more than a week out of the spotlight, Obama planned to make his presence in the campaign quickly known, hosting a live Web chat with supporters in Iowa tonight as the caucuses are unfolding.

Aides say Obama spent a bit of time on vacation brainstorming ideas for his Jan. 24 State of the Union address, where he will lay out an agenda that will also serve as the basis for his campaign message.

The president, first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha stayed largely out of the public eye during their trip.

The Obamas stayed in a multimillion-dollar oceanfront rental on Kailua Beach and surrounded themselves with a close-knit group of family and friends. That included Obama’s sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who lives on Oahu, and several of the president’s childhood friends.

Obama’s outings consisted largely of trips to the gym and golf course at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He returned to the gym Monday morning for one last workout.

The first family also made a few outings around the island, including a snorkeling trip to Hanauma Bay and a stop for shave ice.

On New Year’s Day the president took his family to pay respects to his grandfather Stanley Dunham, who is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, and to an exhibit at the East-West Center featuring a display on the anthropological work of the president’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hawaii News Now video: President Obama’s Hawaiian vacation ends