Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Team Seymour's youngsters 'deploy' during Operation Bug Out

by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs


10/21/2014 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C.  -- One by one, 28 of Team Seymour's youngest members lined up with their recently issued deployment gear.

Gripping their belongings tightly, they slowly boarded a bus en route to their next destination: an aircraft on the flightline of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

Their mission; deploy in support of the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Operation Bug Out.

In order to help them understand what their parents do to prepare for real-world deployments, children between the ages of five and 15 participated in a mock deployment Oct. 15.

The event mirrored the events of an actual deployment including briefings, processing through a personnel deployment function line and transporting their equipment to an awaiting military aircraft.

"It's difficult when a military parent deploys," said Master Sgt. Edward McBride, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO in charge of readiness. "It brings a lot of adjustment, but I think Operation Bug Out brings perspective and reality to children, allowing them to get an idea of what parents go through and why it's important that they deploy. It's a great opportunity for us as military members to showcase what we have on base and bring a smile to a child's face."

The event began at the Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer facility where they received their deployment orders and initial briefings from Col. Mark Slocum, 4th Fighter Wing commander.

After receiving their orders, each child was given a simulated oath of enlistment before being ushered through the processing line. While going through the line, the children and their parent were able to speak with several base representatives, to include members of the base finance office, public health and the chapel. Afterward, each child boarded busses for their next destination: the KC-135R Stratotanker that would simulate taking them to their deployed destination.

The children wrapped up their deployment by visiting the simulated deployed location in a hangar near the aircraft. In the hangar, Airmen from agencies across base, including security forces and the fire department, provided demonstrations for each child. The children also chowed down on Meals Ready to Eat to fill them up during their busy deployment.

"I'm a father and a big kid at heart, so to see the EOD robots and the fire department with Sparky the firedog and the smiles they always bring, it really made me happy, because that's what it's all about," McBride said. "It's all about taking care of our families."

Staff Sgt. Ivan Alandzak, with the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron, said it wasn't just the kids who were fortunate to experience the event; the parents benefited as well.

"I think they'll have a better understanding of what goes on when daddy's gone," he said. "It's a little thing they get to experience that helps them understand at a young age what we do and why we do it."

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