News>Camp teaches children about their parents' deployment
Photos
Joint Base Charleston – Weapons Station Youth Center children pose with loadmasters and pilots from the 15th and 16th Airlift Squadrons, 437th Airlift Wing, during the Children’s Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, at JB Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The camp included a tour of the C-17 Globemaster III, briefs from different agencies throughout the base and a military working dog demonstration. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt)
Colonel Erik Hansen, 437th Airlift Wing commander, briefs Youth Center – Air Base children during the Children’s Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt)
Children line up to go through the deployment-processing line during the Children’s Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. 628th Comptroller Squadron, Airman and Family Readiness Center, 628th Medical Group and 628th Air Base Wing Staff Judge Advocate Airmen volunteered to process the children through the line and pass out books and candy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt)
Master Sgt. Ricky Smith, 628th Force Support Squadron readiness noncommissioned officer-in-charge, stamps a checklist during the Children’s Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. Children had the opportunity to go through a deployment-processing line similar to what their parents have gone through in preparation for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt)
Taylor Kolbe, daughter of 437th Aerial Port Squadron load planner Tech. Sgt. Robert Kolbe, gets her face painted by Staff Sgt. Carey Grant, 628th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical system journeyman, during the Children’s Deployment Camp, August 14, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt)
Airman 1st Class Christopher Ferrand, 628th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment journeyman, shows a mobility bag and its contents to participants of the Children's Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class George Goslin)
Children and their parents go through a deployment line during the Children's Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class George Goslin)
2nd Lt. Andrea Gehrman, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assistant aircraft maintenance unit officer-in-charge, applies face paint to Dalton Perry, step-son of Tech. Sgt. David Leininger, 437th Operations Support Squadron intelligence analyst, during the Children's Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class George Goslin)
Children participating in the Children's Deployment Camp get their face painted and speak to volunteers, Aug. 14, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class George Goslin)
Canteens sit on a table to be distributed to participants of the Children's Deployment Camp, Aug. 14, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C. The Children’s Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class George Goslin)
by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
8/15/2012 - JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- More than 40 sons and daughters of Joint Base Charleston military members learned about their parents' deployments during the Children's Deployment Camp 2012, held at the JB Charleston - Air Base and Weapons Station Aug. 14 and 15.
The Children's Deployment Camp, hosted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, offered children, age five to 14 whose parents have recently returned from deployment, are currently deployed or are scheduled to deploy within the next six months, the opportunity to experience many of the same things their parents have to go through to prepare for a deployment.
Day 1
"These children received detailed briefings similar to what their parents receive before they deploy," said Master Sgt. David Godley, 628th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center noncommissioned officer. "Their briefing came from the Airman and Family Readiness Center, the intel office, public health, legal and finance."
To make the deployment line as real as possible, this Children's Deployment Camp simulated deploying the young troops to South Africa for "Operation Elephant Lift," according to Godley.
After the briefings, the deployers went through a deployment-processing line similar to what their parents go through.
628th Comptroller Squadron, A&FRC, 628th Medical Group and 628th Air Base Wing Staff Judge Advocate Airmen lined up, handed out important documents and processed the children through the line.
Later during the Deployment Camp, the children received a tour of a C-17 Globemaster III.
"This is my third year volunteering for the Children's Deployment camp," said Senior Airman Maechelle Shuler, 628th Air Base Wing Civil Law paralegal. "I love working with the children. I love watching their faces light up when they go out to the C-17."
Their tour at the Air Base ended with a Military Working Dog demonstration at the 628th Security Forces Squadron kennels and a robot demo with the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal shop.
Day 2
The second day of the Children's Deployment Camp focused on the JB Charleston - Weapons Station.
Military and Family Life Counselors coordinated activities for the children centering on coping with deployments.
They later visited Patriots Point, in Mount Pleasant, S.C., which is the home of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum and a fleet of National Historic Landmark ships, including the USS Yorktown, the Cold War Memorial and the only Vietnam Support Base Camp in the U.S.
"The Deployment Camp went great and the kids seemed to enjoy it," said Shannon Norris, Joint Base Charleston - Air Base Youth Center director. "They were able to get the best of both worlds - the Air Force side and Navy side."
