JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.— -- For most service members, deployments are nothing new, but the process is still capable of causing stress to the member and their families. Although programs such as the JBLM Armed Forces Community Service are available to help the deploying member, Joint Base Lewis McChord took additional measures to help kids understand deployment operations.
More than 120 children ages 5-12 attended the second Kids Understanding Deployment Operations event, which was led by the JBLM Armed Forces Community Service July 9. KUDOs included a simulated deployment line; face painting; C-17 Globemaster III static display; and entertaining demonstrations from the JBLM fire department, 22nd Special Tactics Squadron and JBLM explosive ordnance disposal section.
They started off waiting in the staging room before their chalk, groups of children, was called. Once their chalk was called, they would start the deployment process and proceeded through the processing line where they received helmets, t-shirts, water bottles, resource brochures, dog tags, orders and other equipment for their deployment.
Once the children received all their deployment gear, they said their “goodbyes” to their parents and loaded onto a bus and were transported to Camp Kudo [simulated deployed location] which was in Hangar 9 on McChord Field.
Upon entering Camp Kudo, the children were greeted by various McChord leadership and Anthony Buggage, AFCS family program manager, and briefed on what to expect at camp.
After the short brief, the children entered into the hangar and were able to explore the different statics to included explosive ordinance disposal, the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and the JBLM Fire Department.
Once the children finished exploring the different static displays, the volunteer chaperones gathered all the children to the center of the hangar to make sure everyone was accounted for.
While waiting to depart Camp Kudo, Buggage asked the children if they were having a good time and all the kids screamed “Yea!”
“The kids loved the tour of the C-17,” said Buggage. “They kept saying how cool and how big the plane was, and wished they could go flying on it.”
Once the children were all accounted for, they grabbed lunch that was provided by the Pacific Northwest United Service Organizations and loaded the bus to depart their deployed location and head home.
The buses then drove them back to the deployment processing line and the children were met by their parents who greeted them with “welcome home” signs.
As the children unloaded the buses, they ran and hugged their parents while they thanked them for their service and congratulated them on a successful deployment.
“This was my second time doing this event and it was just as successful as last year’s event,” said Buggage. “This event is a great opportunity for the kids. The goal of the KUDO’s event is to give children a better understanding of the deployment process in a fun and interactive environment. If we can reduce the stress of just one kid dealing with the deployment of a family member, then we did our job today.”