Operation Spirit: Mission Success

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joel Pfiester
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  U.S. military history is filled with campaigns and operations, and Team Whiteman has played a part in many of those campaigns. On April 12, Team Whiteman members stepped up and again answered the call.

Mission name: Operation Spirit.

Mission objective: HAVE FUN!

The event was in support of the "Month of the Military Child," and helps recognize the contributions children make as their parents serve our nation.

The ninth annual Operation Spirit event began with a 7 a.m. recall instructing the children to report for a mock deployment at Whiteman Air Force Base Mo. Their "deployment" destination: Kabul, Afghanistan.

"We're here today at the family deployment line because we want kids to understand that when their parents go down range on a deployment not only do we deploy that active-duty Airman, we also deploy that family," said Col. Christopher Darling, 509th Mission Support Group commander and event volunteer. "When an Airman is downrange that Airman can't do their job to the best of their ability unless their family is comfortable and operating efficiently at home."

Once the children arrived at the Deployment Center they were issued an Operation Spirit T-shirt as their uniform, an identification card, dog tags and different chaulk assignments.

Each chaulk had its own commander who educated children on how to stand at attention and perform different facing movements prior to their mission briefing.

The children were then briefed by base organizations including weather, intelligence, and the deployment commander, Colonel Darling.

After their briefings the "deployers" received mock immunizations and were transported to the flight line.

"We spent a little time taking the kids out to the airplane, letting the kids know what their parents do as deployers, the deployment line, the process and let them just get a feel for what we go through as military members and give them a better understanding of what their parents go through," said Tech. Sgt. Tyrone Simes, 509th Force Support Squadron event volunteer.

The children interacted with pilots and toured different aircraft and inert munitions on display

After touring the aircraft children had the opportunity to try on helmets and parachutes and even participate in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training by eating flavored crickets and worms.

"We went out and saw some aircraft and had some fun doing that," Simes said. "We practiced some cheers and chants and then we learned about everything, and met some new friends. So that's also a benefit."

After touring the flight line the children returned home from their deployment and received a certificate for their involvement in Operation Spirit.

Once the deployment was complete the children visited "tent city" which included different base agencies including explosive ordnance disposal, security forces, the fire department and medical group.

"I think we connected with all of them," Simes said. "We got on a personal level and talked about who they were and their parents and stuff like that. I really enjoyed it. It was my first time ever doing something like this and I'm pretty sure I'll be doing it again next year."

Although the event is designed to boost optimism in children, it also serves as a morale booster for members of Team Whiteman.

"The most fulfilling moment for me was when I had one of the kids actually come up and say thank you guys for everything you do," Simes said. "That was very fulfilling to me."