DAYTON, Ohio — When a parent deploys or is gone for weeks during a training or mission, it’s never an easy thing for loved ones back home.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is helping children understand deployments and military service in a way special way.

From obstacles and racing, to fire fighting and rescue, and everything in-between, for the second year, the base hosted Operation KUDOS (Kids Understanding Deployment Operations).

What You Need To Know

  • Operation KUDOS stands for Kids Understanding Deployment Operations

  • Forty families and 80 children participated

  • This is the second year WPAFB has hosted the event

  • Children learn what their loved one might go through during a deployment

It’s a day starting with a fun mission.

“A slime factory exploded and we’re cleaning up the infrastructure to return life to normal,” said 88th Air Base Wing Readiness NCO MSgt Joseph Gillispie.

Throughout the day, kids not only had a chance to explore the ins and outs of a C-17, but they could see what their parent or parents might go through during a deployment.

“They get to experience this and see a little bit of what I get to do here at Wright-Patterson,” said SSgt Rose Martinez.

Martinez has four children and while it’s fun to watch her sons Bradley and Benjamin take on the course, being away for weeks at a time is always tough.

“No it hasn’t been easy, especially just figuring out daycare, how to coordinate that while I’m out,” Martinez said.

Forty families came out to enjoy the event, with children ranging in age from 4 to 13.

A main goal is to open up a conversation.

“I’ve deployed several times and my daughters never understood exactly what I was doing. In fact that thought I was just out flying around on a big airplane. Military children don’t get to choose, but they are serving and sacrificing just like their parents are,” said Wright-Patterson AFB Vice Wing Commander Col Travis Pond.

“It’s difficult for the kids, but it’s also difficult for the service member. I have a 16-month-old and even when I have to leave for a week, missing them every day, it’s a very difficult thing but it’s a crucial thing for what we do for the nation,” said Gillispie.

It’s difficult, but days like this make the process of understanding seem a little more fun.

“Fun to see them out there and racing,” said Martinez.

Related Stories