Military children get glimpse of deployment

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  On Aug. 12, more than 180 Team Holloman children got a glimpse of what their parents do when they deploy during the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Operation K.I.D.: Kids Investigating Deployment.

Eight groups of eager children sat in the Domenici Fitness and Sports Center Thursday morning after processing through the line, where they received their orders to "Base X", dog tags and mobility bags complete with a water bottle, snacks and a certificate of completion.

Before they headed on the buses to deploy, they received a mission briefing from the 49th Wing commander, Col. David Krumm.

"Today our goal is to show you how important you are because your parents are doing the most important thing in the world right now and that's protecting our nation," said Colonel Krumm. "When they leave, you support them back home by taking out the trash more often, by doing your homework without anyone having to ask, by cleaning your room and making their lives a little bit better. We want you guys to know how much that means to your parents when they deploy. As we go out today, you will find out a little bit about what they do."

Upon arriving to Base X, an area set up at Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources, the children received safety briefings from the 49th Wing Legal Office and Chaplain, followed by an Intelligence briefing that taught children what a deployed location is like, from the terrain to the native animals.

The children were raring to go.

"I am excited," said one child Orion Dolly, son of Deborah Dolly, a nurse with the 49th Medical Group. "They said we'd get to see armored vehicles and I am really into military stuff."

Set up throughout Base X were eight stations, each representing a unit at Holloman, and offering a myriad of hands-on demonstrations: a look inside of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Support Squadron, the chance to try on bullet-proof vests with the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and a Meal Ready to Eat provided by the 49th Force Support Squadron.

"It was really good," said Billy Burke, son of Lt. Col. Timothy Burke, 49th Maintenance Group, after eating his first MRE. He added that his favorite part of the day was seeing the snake that was showcased in the 49th Aeromedical Dental Squadron tent. The Public Health Element let children see and touch a live, docile snake while displaying many other critters.

"We're trying to show the kids all the animals that could possibly be out there like black widows, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, bats -- we're just trying to show them what a servicemember could see while deployed," said Airman 1st Class Antonio Cruz, 49th AMDS.

Children also had the opportunity to sit in a pilot seat that was once in a German Tornado in the German Air Force Flying Training Center tent, get in the back of an ambulance with the 49th Medical Operations Squadron, get an up-close view of a fire truck with the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron and check out a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle with the 49th Security Forces Squadron. They also received "funny money" from the 49th Comptroller Squadron.

As the morning wound down, the "deployers" returned to a Welcome Home party at the fitness center, each with a better understanding of what 'mom and dad' do.

"The goal of Operation KID is to show the kids -- give them an idea -- of what their parents go through when they're deploying ... except of course it's more fun for the kids than what we actually do," said Master Sgt. Sharon Knudson with a smile, the A&FRC noncommissioned officer in charge of readiness. "Everything went really smoothly and all of the kids had a great time."