Military children learn about deployments, mission at Junior PDF 2010

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  More than 260 military children took part in Offutt's second annual Junior PDF Line event at the Offutt Field House here May 7.

The event is designed to help children understand what their mothers or fathers may have to endure when they deploy.

After each child arrived at the field house, he or she received a T-shirt, dog-tags and an ID card. Then they were greeted by Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander.

General Shanahan asked the children, by a show of hands, how many of them had a mother or father deployed at some point in their lives. Almost every hand in the room went up. Similar results followed when the general asked, how many children have a parent deployed right now, as several hands remained raised.

"What you're going to see today is how that process works," General Shanahan said.

Before he left, General Shanahan presented a commander's coin to a young girl who managed to guess how many military members the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth had deployed, with her guess of 888. She was only off by 230 as 1,118 personnel are currently deployed from the 55th WG.

After that the 2010 Junior PDF Line was off and running.

Children in groups of slightly more than 30 were led through a variety of areas where they learned what it was like to deploy. The first stop for several children was the mobility processing line, where they prepared to go on a "mock" deployment. Representatives from the 55th Medical Group, 55th Wing Legal Office and the 55th Force Support and Comptroller Squadrons were on hand to provide the children with advice and guidance.

The event also featured a tour of an RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, static weapons display, military working dog demonstration and a physical training session.

Members of Offutt's Honor Guard also demonstrated how to properly fold the United States flag and perform ceremonial rifle techniques.

For one attendee, 9-year-old Evan M. Wallace, the son of Lt. Col. Mark Wallace, with U.S. Strategic Command, the event was quite educational.

"It really gives you a chance to understand what (military members) have to go through, as well as a good idea of what you would have to go through if you wanted to join the military," he said.

The young boy also said that he hopes to be a Marine Corps pilot and that the Junior PDF Line helped children understand what the military does.

One of his favorite parts, he added, was touring the RC-135.

"That was pretty cool," he said.

Tech. Sgt. Shannon L. Tabor, 55th WG Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO and the event's primary organizer, said a great deal of planning went into the event.

The Junior PDF Line took three months of planning and about four hours every day to organize, Sergeant Tabor said.

The event was made possible by nearly 100 volunteers, as well as 20 units and supporting agencies from the community, he added.

One of those volunteers was Capt. Anthony A. Rendon, a pilot with the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron. Captain Rendon led more than 200 children on tours of an RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft and said he really enjoyed it.

"It was good to give back to the community and share a small portion of my life that may have created dreams and positively influenced a child's future," he said.

The captain also said the best part of the event for him was seeing the excitement in the children's eyes.

"The overwhelming amount of buttons, switches and gadgets, I think blew their mind," Captain Rendon said.

"The day-to-day grind of what I do clouds my point of view, we all tend to complain about little things and lose sight of the big picture, those reactions truly re-focused me and allowed me to see that what I get to do, and what I have worked so hard on for years, is truly amazing," the captain added. "I thank them for that."

Airman 1st Class Jamicia B. Thomas, a paralegal with the 55th Wing Legal Office, volunteered to provide legal advice in the mobility processing line for the event.

"My role in the processing line was to provide (legal counsel)," Airman Thomas said. "I asked the children questions and (told them) to stay out of trouble."

Airman Thomas also said the Junior PDF Line allowed the children to see exactly what their mothers and fathers go through to prepare for a deployment.

" I feel (that) the kids (learned) in a fun way, what their parents do when they're getting ready to deploy," Airman Thomas said.

The children went through basically every step of pre-deployment that their parents do and they had people there to explain every step, she added.

For many military families dealing with deployments can be difficult. However, the children who attended the Junior PDF Line now have a better understanding of the deployment process as well as military life.