SJAFB youth experience mock deployment during Operation Bug Out

  • Published
  • By Airman Shawna L. Keyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  More than 50 of Team Seymour's youngest members got the opportunity to go through a mock deployment in support of the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Operation Bug Out, Aug. 21.

Children between the ages of five and 15 participated in the event in order to better understand what their parents do to prepare for real-world deployments.

To give the kids the full experience, participants attended briefings, processed through a personnel deployment function line and transported their equipment to an awaiting military aircraft.

Master Sgt. Edward McBride, 4th Force Support Squadron A&FRC superintendent, said Operation Bug Out provides a PDF line for the children to walk through, get stamped off on their mobility folders, and talk to various agencies from the base to prepare them for the mock deployment.

"It's a good opportunity for the children to have a good time and see what their parents go through," said McBride.

The kids began the event at the Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer facility where they received a briefing from Col. Mark Slocum, 4th Fighter Wing commander, before going through the mock PDF line.

Children donned mission-oriented protective posture gear, body armor, flight gear and explosive ordnance disposal gear. They also sampled MREs (spell out) and got up close and personal with various vehicles such as an ambulance, EOD truck, fire truck and a KC-135 Stratotanker.

"My kid got to try on all the gear and really experience some of the things that his father experiences when he's deployed," said Lisa Blevins, wife of Chaplain (Capt.) David Blevins, 4th Fighter Wing chaplain. "It was a really enjoyable time for me and my kid."