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AFMC programs help children understand deployments

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Children of military parents experienced first-hand this month what it is like for their parents to deploy, thanks to programs at two Air Force Materiel Command bases.

An event called Operation Hero occurred at Eglin AFB, Fla., Aug. 19. That same day, Edwards AFB, Calif., hosted the Kids Understanding Deployment Operations, or Operation KUDOS.

At Eglin, dog tags, identification cards and a set of orders were all part of the goody bags handed out to the young participants to get them ready to "deploy."

After a talk from Col. Dean Clemons, 96th Air Base Wing commander, and a short session of physical training exercises, the young troops were ready to begin their deployments.

Volunteers from several base organizations set up stations to show the 75 participants what an actual deployment entails.

Capt. Dick Wong, 40th Flight Test Squadron flight test engineer, spent the day showing children the inside of an F-15 cockpit.

"Most kids want to know how fast the F-15 can go," Captain Wong said. "The jet can go up to Mach-2, but it would waste a lot of gas to go that fast. The fastest we usually fly is Mach-1.5."

Captain Wong said another common question of the day was about the ejection handles. "The handles are yellow; and typically if something is yellow, it means 'Don't touch.'"

Military moms and dads get hungry while they are at their deployed location, and to show the young troops how to eat downrange, Staff Sgt. Kristen Bamberger, 96th Services Squadron flight kitchen manager, cooked some Meals-Ready-to-Eat for the children to taste.

"I tried spaghetti, pineapple pie and steak with mushrooms," said Charisse Russell, 11, daughter of Airman 1st Class Annette Russell, 33rd Maintenance Squadron.

Charisse, who plans to become an archeologist when she grows up, said one of her favorite parts of the day was seeing the jet.

Along with showing the children what their parents eat, they were also shown types of gear their parents might need while at a deployed location. Chemical warfare gear, conventional flack vest and other protective gear, along with a mock weapon such as an M-16 were all available for the children to try on and hold.

"We are here to talk to the kids about how to put the gear on, explain what it does and try to show them what their parents endure during deployments," said Staff Sgt. Darren Pemberton, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron operations NCOIC.

Other types of gear were shown off by the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Protection Flight. One key piece of gear a firefighter uses is a "Self Contained Breathing Apparatus," or an air pack. The air pack straps on like a backpack and weighs 25 pounds. Other gear on display included bolt cutters, a saw, a pike pole and an axe.

"The pike pole is used for pulling down ceilings and detecting wall or ceiling fires," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Ruffenach, firefighter.

Children were also given the opportunity to try on the firefighter's uniform and meet "Sparky," the fire safety dog, who was on site to educate the children about fire safety.

Other safety units, such as the 96th Medical Operations Squadron, deploy to provide medical care. "Operation Hero" helped children see what takes place when someone needs medical attention. The children were invited to sit in an ambulance, get carried on a stretcher and get bandaged up.

Operation KUDOS gave Edwards kids, ages five through 18, the opportunity to play the role of their military parents for the day. The 72 participants started the day with camouflage face painting provided by the 95th Security Forces Squadron. They received a briefing from Col. H. Brent Baker Sr., 95th Air Base Wing commander, who spoke about the purpose and importance of Operation KUDOS.

The kids then received other briefings from base organizations about the mobility process and about safety and awareness. Once the kids received their briefings, they stood in a mobility line to be issued squirt guns for weapons, jelly beans for immunizations and given time to speak to a base representative from the chaplain, legal and finance offices -- much like the mobility line their parents go through.

After the children were in-processed, the parents and children boarded buses to head to their deployed location. The children learned about self-aid buddy care and how to properly wear a gas mask. The kids also donned gear worn by the fire department personnel. They learned about weapons from the 95th SFS. The kids also got a first-hand look on water purification systems being used when their military parents are deployed.

Around lunch time, the kids were given a variety of Meals-Ready-to-Eat packages that provided them with a better understanding of what their parents might eat when deployed. While at Camp Raven, the children also experienced alarm condition exercises where they were "under attack" and had to drop to the ground or find cover.

"I think this day was really useful for the kids," Colonel Baker said. "We wanted to try and make it fun for the kids so when they walk away from this they would have taken home a greater appreciation and understanding of what their parents really do when they deploy."

As the different AEF cycles deploy, Colonel Baker plans to have Operation KUDOS for these cycles also.

"It's been my experience that once the kids get back to the community wearing their Operation KUDOS shirt and the kids start speaking about it, we will probably have an even greater number of kids for the next KUDOS," he said.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is comprised of articles originally written by Maranda Rimes with the 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office and Airman Stacy Garcia with the 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office)