Prepping for deployment by KUDOS/TUDOS

  • Published
  • By Roland Balik
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Not all overseas deployments start off at 8 a.m. and end around noon the same day, especially on nice warm summer days, unless you signed up for Kids Understanding Deployment Operations/Teachers Understanding Deployment Operations sponsored by the Dover AFB Airman & Family Readiness Center.

Children and teachers totaling more than 240 participated in the 11th annual event that was held on Aug. 23, 2016, at three separate venues; Welch Elementary School, Dover AFB Youth Center and the football field across from the Youth Center.

More than 80 volunteers helped lead six chalks of children, one chalk of teachers through weather, intelligence and operational security briefings, numerous processing line stations with equipment demonstrations, an obstacle course and a USO welcome home station upon their return from the mock deployment locations of Jordan and Djibouti, Africa.

“We opened up the briefings with a discussion on what the KUDOS/TUDOS was about: learning about the deployment process hoping that it would answer questions, remove any myths or fears associated with it and provide an opportunity for future discussions with their military parents to further explain the process and build bridges of communication and comfort,” said Lt. Col. John Preston, 436th Mission Support Group deputy commander. “We also spoke about the overall Dover AFB mission set to provide a foundation of what it is that their military members do on a daily basis and how we affect and support national security interests and strategies, both here and deployed.”

Prior to the briefings, children received book bags filled with school supplies and other items to simulate mobility bags that were palletized by 436th Aerial Port Squadron personnel.

“This was a chance to show the kids this is what your parents are going to go through when their parent or parents deploy,” said Master Sgt. Ruben Mojica, 436th Force Support Squadron Airman & Family Readiness Center readiness NCO in charge. “For the teachers, it gives them an understanding on what the child and military member might be going through.”

For one teacher, KUDOS/TUDOS was an opportunity for her to acclimate herself to the concept of deployments by being around children of military personnel and by going through the processing line herself.

“For me, just to relate to a student who comes to me and says my parents are being deployed, I can relate to them what they are going through and are feeling not having a parent around,” said Rebekah Hunter, Welch Elementary School first grade teacher. “It will help me in the classroom to recognize students of deployed parents and look at them in a different light by being careful in certain areas.”

Preston stated, “The teachers were also interested in the support structures/systems available both during the deployment and the re-integration process, which was a great segue into all the resources that our community and sponsors were showcasing at the youth center at the conclusion of the event.”

Even volunteers with children too young to participate made it easy for children to understand the deployment process and associated language.

“It’s a good experience for all the children that have military moms and dads to see how we go through it on a daily basis, said Tech. Sgt. Julio Fareaux, 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCO in charge of flight service center. “It’s broken down to a level that they can understand and a good perspective of what we do.”

Preston said he was very impressed with the leadership of Master Sgt. Mojica and the team work that went into putting the event together.

“Everyone's focus on making it an educational but fun event for the children, teachers and parents was fantastic and hit the mark,” he stated.

At one of the numerous deployment line stations, personnel from the 436th Medical Group assisted the children in a hands-on demonstration by stabilizing and loading a mannequin into an ambulance.

“I liked taking the bandages and wrapping them around [the mannequin],” said Sophia Ridgeway, daughter of Staff Sgt. Alesha Ridgeway, 512th Aerospace Medical Squadron dental technician.

This year’s KUDOS/TUDOS would not have been a success without the numerous volunteers and sponsors both on base and from the local community that made it possible.

“The teamwork of the event, both internally and externally across the whole Dover community, showcased how supportive of a community we live in, and reaffirms the support networks to our families and children who are serving their nation in a deployed role,” said Preston. “It was uplifting!”