Operation Spirit: Children in 'The Sandbox'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo., --  The Airmen stood in line, bags in hand, 8 a.m. April 24, 2010, at the Whiteman Deployment Center. They were waiting to receive their deployment orders and with it, what to expect in the near future.

These "Airmen," ranging from pre-school- to middle-school-age children, were part of Operation Spirit. The operation supports Whiteman military families, giving their children a first-hand experience of what their parents encounter on deployments.

"The program lets the children feel like a part of the military instead of being on the side," said Col. Rickey Rodgers, 509th Bomb Wing vice commander. "It's a great program that gives children insight into what their parents do."

Starting their day with in-processing, the Airmen received ID cards, t-shirts, and checked-in their bags. In-processing was followed with a briefing by Brig. Gen. Robert Wheeler, 509th BW commander, where he thanked them for their sacrifice, and prepared them for their mission.

Following the briefing, the children were led through a deployment line. They started the line receiving simulated immunizations, dog-tags, and orders to their base-to-be. While the shock of being shipped to Iraq or Afghanistan sunk in, the children received their deployment supplies, a handful of candy.

The "young" Airmen were transported to the flightline by bus. There, the children were met by a B-2, Apache, A-10, C-131, and T-38 display. Standing by each aircraft was a "walking dictionary," ready to answer any questions the children had.

When the Airmen finally grew tired of asking questions, they headed for the bus. Waiting for the children were rows of waving flags, "welcoming them home."
Rounding out their day, the Airmen enjoyed lunch, followed by an array of hands-on displays in a deployment-like tent room. The displays included an Explosive Ordnance Disposal robot, which the children could control by remote, chemical warfare gear, camouflage-face paint, and an ambulance. The 509th Security Forces Squadron's K-9 team also made an appearance.

Geared toward children, the program brings the deployment experience to a level they understand.
"It's very important for children to have an understanding of what their parents go through," Mrs. Rachel Wheeler said. "The more the children see, the safer they feel when their parents do get deployed."

One Airman shared her perspective after the strenuous "deployment."

"I feel more safe and protected," Sierra Atkinson said, in reference to how she feels about the idea of her dad, Tech. Sgt. Donald Atkinson, 509th Maintenance Squadron, deploying.