MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- When some service members deploy, they leave behind a military child who may spend the separation period wondering what his or her parents are doing while away. To help children combat that feeling of uncertainty, the Airman and Family Readiness Center hosted a Kids Deployment Line at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, April 30, 2022.
To culminate the Month of the Military Child, Team Moody wanted children to experience the pre-deployment process and designed an interactive event from a child’s perspective.
“The goal is to highlight the things that military members go through when they’re preparing for deployment, but we showcase it in a way that is fun for the children,” said Tierra Jackson, A&FRC Community Readiness Specialist.
When the children arrived, they received their orders, deployment checklist and deployment briefing.
“Once they get the deployment brief and their orders, they will continue into the Air Park on a scavenger hunt to find the various stations,” said Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Kanapaux, A&FRC Readiness noncommissioned officer. “At each station, they were informed by military members from squadrons around the base on the different capabilities of the aircraft and Moody Air Force Base Airmen.”
Each station included Airmen from various organizations such as explosive ordnance disposal, the fire department, and the 71st Rescue Squadron. Before moving to the next station, the children received stickers to form a puzzle and complete their deployment checklist.
After completing every station, event attendees mingled with each other over food and could grab packets of information with resources for families of deployed members. However, the event was catered to all families, especially those with Airmen who may be tagged with a last-minute, unplanned deployment.
“This is important for families because it helps ensure resilience in the children,” said Kanapaux. “Moody Air Force Base Airmen can deploy at any point, and this will ensure that the children understand what their parents are going through, and it could help them cope better when their parents do go downrange.”