KUDOS educates military children

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jim Araos
  • 30th Space Wing Public Affairs
Team Vandenberg volunteers recently came together to educate military children from Crestview Elementary on what their parents experience during their deployment, here, March 31. 

The Kids Understanding Deployment Operations is a program developed to give children a deeper understanding of the military deployment process their parents go through before deploying to support the overseas mission.

"We let the children experience the processing and mock deployment on base," said Tech. Sgt. Brittany Spoutz, 30th Force Support Squadron family readiness NCO. "We utilize all the same base agencies that assist in deployment and some of the base agencies that deploy frequently."

The 30th Logistics Readiness Squadron Installation Deployment Readiness Cell and the personnel deployment function took the children through the processing line to simulate receiving their mobility gear. Vehicle operations then transported them to Cocheo Park to be greeted with numerous educational displays.

"The event exposed the children to what we do every day," said Senior Airman Ryan Harris, 30th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler." It's not about a specific job, it's more about the responses that we have overseas and what we have stateside."

The 30th SFS also organized a vehicle and weapons display and a military working dog demonstration.

"KUDOS gives the youth an idea of what the military does so that it isn't foreign to them," said Senior Airman Kenneth Maurer, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal journeyman. "It allows the children to consider joining the military or at least have a positive outlook later on in life."

The 30th CES brought out a smorgasbord of displays for the children. The readiness flight brought their chemical gear display; the explosive ordnance disposal flight displayed and demonstrated their bomb disposal robots; and the Fire Department brought out a smoke house demonstration.

"It's really important to do this because when children see their parents deploy, they might not understand what that means," said Spoutz. "This way they can get some hands-on experience. It shows children that they are part of this military community and they're just as important as their parents. It's great for them to see, experience and have some fun."