OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --
Offutt hosted a Kids Understanding Deployment Operations event at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Oct. 15, 2022. KUDOS is a program developed to provide military children with a deeper understanding of their parents’ deployment process.
“KUDOS is important to me being a military member and having to leave for duty on many occasions. I think being able to have the kids understand the process better will help when loved ones must leave,” said Tech Sgt. Kristopher Sosebee, 55th Operational Support Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge.
Event leaders gave the kids checklists when they arrived to complete by attending each of the six stations, which included survival evasion resistance escape, medical, chaplain services and proper firearm training. At the completion of each task, the kids received a sticker on a passport card to track their progress, and they received a prize at the end for completing their training.
“It was an eye-opening experience so that the children can experience how the 55th Wing contributes to the overall mission of protecting the United States from our adversaries,” said Maj. Anika Poetzsch, 55th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron acting bioenvironmental engineering flight commander.
As the Air Force’s most deployed wing this event gave families an opportunity to understand deployment better by participating in various activities. Family is one of the wing’s three priorities and this event aligned with the targeted focus on families.
“I volunteered for this event because I think it is important for family members and loved ones to be a part of fun events tied to the base they are a part of just as much as the military members. This one really struck my interest, having two sons of my own that have gone through many deployments,” said Sosebee.