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Page 10 | <strong>Hurlburt</strong> <strong>Warrior</strong> | Friday, May 25, 2012 Friday, May 25, 2012 | <strong>Hurlburt</strong> <strong>Warrior</strong> | Page 11<br />
Kids get KUDOS<br />
during mock deployment<br />
By Airman 1st Class<br />
Benjamin Kim<br />
Airman 1st Class Benjamin Kim | USAF<br />
Children inspect various insects that Airmen may encounter during deployment<br />
at the Kids Understanding Deployment Operations event at the base Deployment<br />
Control Center at <strong>Hurlburt</strong> Field, May 19.<br />
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs<br />
B<br />
oys and girls donned camouflaged<br />
boonie hats as the war<br />
paint slathered on to their faces<br />
accentuated the excitement in<br />
their eyes.<br />
They eagerly put on Mission Oriented<br />
Protective Posture gear and<br />
struggle to put on the heavy metalplated<br />
vests.<br />
The children then looked in wonder<br />
of the giant metallic beasts that sat<br />
quietly on the air field as if they were<br />
awaiting battle.<br />
While these children will not be<br />
experiencing combat missions any<br />
time soon, for one day they had the opportunity<br />
to experience just a glimpse<br />
of what their parents go through during<br />
deployment.<br />
Nearly 140 children of <strong>Hurlburt</strong> Field<br />
Airmen participated in the Airman &<br />
Family Readiness Center’s Kids Understanding<br />
Deployment Operations event<br />
at the Deployment Control Center here<br />
May 19.<br />
The program, known as KUDOS, is<br />
an A&FRC initiative designed to give<br />
children an insight into what goes on<br />
when their Air Commando mothers and<br />
fathers say ‘goodbye.’<br />
“It helps kids understand what their<br />
parents experience in deployment,”<br />
said Debby Lundblad, director of the<br />
A&FRC. “If they have any fears, it<br />
calms them.”<br />
KUDOS gives children an up close<br />
and personal experience through which<br />
they can feel as if they are part of the<br />
military, Lundblad said.<br />
After receiving a welcome statement<br />
from Lt. Col. Kirk Peterson, commander<br />
of 1st Special Operations Logisitics<br />
Readiness Squadron, the children traveled<br />
through different stations to learn<br />
about things that they may experience<br />
when their parents deploy.<br />
For instance, representatives from<br />
the 1st Special Operation Medical<br />
Group showed them a display of disease-spreading<br />
insects as an attempt to<br />
inform them of medically-related dangers<br />
their parents may face while on a<br />
deployment.<br />
The KUDOS experience did not stop<br />
at pre-deployment procedures. This<br />
day included a K-9 demonstration from<br />
the 1st Special Operations Security<br />
Forces Squadron, static displays of<br />
1st Special Operations Wing ground<br />
vehicles and aircraft and explosive ordnance<br />
disposal robots.<br />
“It takes quite a while just to make it<br />
all come together, but it’s worth it,” said<br />
Nancy Prescott, school liaison for <strong>Hurlburt</strong><br />
Field at the A&FRC and KUDOS<br />
coordinator. “Plus I had a lot of good<br />
volunteers who helped out and took the<br />
kids around. We couldn’t have done this<br />
without them.”<br />
While the KUDOS event is geared<br />
toward children, many of the more than<br />
50 active-duty Airmen and civilians who<br />
volunteered their time said they also<br />
gained from the experience.<br />
“I thought it was important for them<br />
to see exactly what we go through and<br />
understand it so that they can be a better<br />
support to us as well as how we can<br />
be a better support to them,” said Airman<br />
1st Class Ashley Coe, a pediatric<br />
technician at the 1st Special Operations<br />
Medical Operations Squadron and KU-<br />
DOS volunteer. “And it was easy to connect<br />
with the kids and teach them about<br />
what we go through. This was definitely<br />
a morale booster that I think everybody<br />
needs to be involved with.”<br />
The day culminated in a heroes<br />
return for the children, similar to those<br />
their parents received at Operation<br />
Homecoming, complete with American<br />
flags, cookies and hugs from their<br />
family.<br />
“This was so amazing,” said Tamika<br />
McKinney, a military spouse and<br />
mother of KUDOS participant Jasmine<br />
Dereje. “I think this was a great opportunity<br />
for the kids to see what their<br />
parents do.”<br />
Although she said children may<br />
generally be left in the dark regarding<br />
what goes on during a deployment,<br />
McKinney said KUDOS gave them a<br />
deeper appreciation for how their military<br />
parents keep their children and the<br />
country safe.<br />
“I commend the wing for putting<br />
this on and doing this for the families,”<br />
McKinney said. “It makes us feel important<br />
and like we’re part of the mission<br />
as well.”<br />
Airman 1st Class Benjamin Kim | USAF<br />
Senior Airman Amanda Osborn, a financial technician from 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron, issues play<br />
money to children at the pre-deployment line during the Kids Understanding Deployment Operations event at the base<br />
Deployment Control Center at <strong>Hurlburt</strong> Field. This booth teaches children about a part of pre-deployment finance where<br />
Airmen are issued money to cover various costs that may be incurred during the process.<br />
Airman 1st Class Benjamin Kim | USAF<br />
Above, children stand at the top of bleachers to observe a<br />
K-9 demonstration held by the 1st Special Operations Security<br />
Forces Squadron outside the base Deployment Control<br />
Center. The K-9 demonstration is one of many informative<br />
parts of the KUDOS event to show various aspects<br />
of deployment. At left, Airman 1st Class Ashley Coe, a<br />
pediatrics technician from 1st Special Operations Medical<br />
Operations Squadron, leads a formation of children.<br />
Airman 1st Class Benjamin Kim | USAF<br />
Tamika McKinney welcomes back her daughter Jasmine<br />
Dereje at the end of the Kids Understand Deployment<br />
Operations event at the base Deployment Control Center<br />
at <strong>Hurlburt</strong> Field, May 19. The homecoming wrapped up the<br />
KUDOS event, giving the children a glimpse of what returnees<br />
experience when coming back from deployment.