Going to the 'Sandbox'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - --  Bullet-proof vest. Check. M-16. Check. Helmet. Check. Teddy bear. Check.

Children of all ages and parents participated in a simulated deployment line at the Installation Deployment Readiness Center, Aug. 25, 2011.

Parents and kids were bussed over from the youth center to the IDRC geared up in Airman Battle Uniforms, flightsuits, deployment tee shirts and dog tags to prepare themselves for their mock deployment.

Once there, the parents and children listened to briefings from various base agencies and processed through the line. They spoke to the chaplain, finance, immunizations and some even prepared mock Powers of Attorney for their stuffed animals.

Afterwards, they received their "battle rattle". The children were able to try on gas masks, helmets and bullet proof vests without the weights inserted.

"I liked trying on the [bullet proof vest] because it was kind of neat," said 7-year-old Devin Vandersnick, son of Tech. Sgt. Joseph Leaver, 494th Aircraft Maintenance Unit APG assistant section chief.

With a checklist full of stickers and backpacks full of items and candy, the children were ready for deployment.

This event is designed to help the children understand what their parents go through when they deploy.

"The purpose of [the mock deployment line] is to let the kids see what [servicemembers] go through when we deploy but to let them have fun with it," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Aumiller, 48th Force Support Squadron Readiness NCO and head of the Children's Mock Deployment Line.

The children left the deployment line with smiles, deployment bags of items and candies along with a better understanding of what their parents do when they deploy.

Aumiller added that he hoped the event would occur annually.