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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Wright-Patt wrapped up the first full week of August with about 100 children surging to Hangar 206 for some KUDOS. Kids Understanding Deployment Operations was a morning-long affair of activities, hot dogs, and education. The KUDOS mobilization is designed to help children aged 4-14 work through deployment issues by engaging them in a fun, simulated deployment process.
“We want to recognize our kids and what they do to support us when we deploy,” explained Master Sgt. Bradley Blair, the KUDOS lead organizer.
“I’ve been on four deployments and left the kids behind. You worry so much about them, but you find that they are resilient, and they make it work.”
While the children didn’t experience the alternating tedium and stress of an actual deployment, the event stations could provide context for future conversations about a parent’s prolonged absence. If Mom talks about a long flight over the ocean in a big, loud plane, her children can visualize the sights and smells because they have walked around the belly of a C-17. If Dad starts talking about the misery of entry control points in a hot environment, his children have experienced the weight of tactical gear and the intensity of a K-9 performing its duties.
During the event, kids bandaged buddies, ran an obstacle course, and watched a robot disarm a bomb. All of this was experienced in a fun, simulated environment, but those experiences can still provide talking points for a parent’s dangerous, real-world deployment.
“I always felt like the deployments were significantly more difficult for my wife and kids than they were for me,” remarked Blair. “It wasn’t easy, but I knew exactly what my expectations were going to be. My wife is managing the kids, the house, the bills, and going to appointments and sports. It’s extremely challenging. So, I just like the idea of my kids being exposed to what I do.”
The event offered something for the parents as well. While kids walked through deployment stations on one side of the hangar, parents could attend an information fair on the other. Local school representatives, the Military Family Readiness Center, and several helping agencies and programs were on hand to address specific needs and questions. The fair may have lacked the pizzaz of bomb suits and firefighters, but the information and resources on display could prove invaluable for maintaining a stable household during turbulent times.
“A parent could see something and say, ‘hey, I could actually use some support here,’” added Blair. “The last thing we want to see is a deployed family that feels isolated.”
The timing of the whole event was carefully planned as well. Summer break is almost over, so the KUDOS kids walked away with a certificate of completion and a backpack containing back-to-school necessities.
“Hopefully there’s an education piece,” said Blair. “Ideally, the kids are going back to school excited, taking something away with them. And they feel recognized.”
The annual KUDOS event was geared toward younger children, but Master Sgt. Blair hopes to field an activity for teenagers in the future.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2024 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 485152 |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Kids learn to deploy through fun, by Christopher Decker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
