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Just like Airmen: Local children 'deploy' to Camp Camel

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bekah Phy
  • 305th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  Children from North Hanover Township Upper Elementary School followed in the footsteps of many Airmen during their "deployment" Oct. 3 to Camp Camel, Saudi Arabia.

Hosted by McGuire's Airman and Family Readiness Center, seven sixth-grade classes were invited to participate in a Kids Deployment Line - somewhat simulating what many of their parents or their friends' parents experience prior to a real-world deployment.

"This is our fifth year participating in the program, and the kids love it," said Maureen Davis, North Hanover Township UES sixth-grade teacher. "The military children have a new understanding of what their parents go through, and it's an eye opener for the non-military children to understand what their friends' families are going through."

The No. 1priority during the event was safety, while the children learned about the deployment process in a fun way.

"We really want the children to understand what their parents go through, but also that the deployment process is safe and the Air Force is doing all it can to keep their parents (and friends' parents) safe," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Casciano, A&FRC Readiness NCO.

Several base organizations were represented in the deployment line, including Finance, Personnel Readiness and Immunizations - the children received candy to represent shots.

After being issued their military orders, which listed the children's ranks from airman to general, the children were escorted through a security checkpoint to their briefings.

The briefings included operational and communication security tips, background information on their assignment to Camp Camel and rules for the flightline. The children were also able to ask real-world questions to their briefers, including Lt. Col. Christopher Wyckoff, 305th Mission Support Squadron commander, who gave the commander's brief and explained the importance of military families.

"We're doing this because we want to prepare you and show you what military members go through as they get ready to go overseas and serve our country," Colonel Wyckoff said. "In addition to the person deploying, we want the families to be prepared - those families are left behind to do everything without that military member. If their families are not ok, they're not going to be able to do their job protecting us ... our families are very important."

"The event really helps give the children a sense of security in a fun way," Sergeant Casciano said. "They need to understand their parents are being taken care of so they can focus on their school work and home life, which is a really important aspect of the deployment process."

Following the briefings, the sixth graders were escorted to a KC-10, which "transported" them to their final destination - Camp Camel.

"I really hope the children enjoyed themselves and learned something during their 'deployment,'" Sergeant Casciano said. "Mostly, I hope they feel better about their parents' deployments."