ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Identification card? Check. Dog tags? Check. Orders? Check.
The young recruits in Company C sat anxiously looking through their passports as they contemplated what awaited them next.
After safety and weather briefings, the troops of Company C set out on their mission: Operation K.U.D.O.S. at "Andrewsland."
The recruits of Company C were 40 of the nearly 200 Team Andrews children who had the unique opportunity to participate in Operation Kids Understanding Deployment Operations, or K.U.D.O.S. This program, sponsored by the 316th Logistics Readiness Squadron, helped children better understand what their military parents experience when they deploy.
Through this effort, and thanks to the more than 80 Team Andrews volunteers, children base-wide were given a glimpse of military deployment operations Friday.
"I learned so much through Operation K.U.D.O.S.," said Nate Hills, 12, son of Dianna Hills, 316th Airman and Family Services flight chief. "They have to do a lot of stuff before they go over there. I thought it would be easy -- you know, get on the plane and go, but they have to take medicine; they have to learn all the things that they need to know."
Even though the young troop Hills saw how difficult deployment can be, he said he learned a lot.
"It was really fun!" he said.
Members of the 316th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 316th Security Forces Squadron, 316th Civil Engineer Squadron, 316th Force Support Squadron, 1st Helicopter Squadron, 89th Maintenance Squadron and 779th Medical Group participated in the day's events. Capt. Mary-Lena Kikta, 316 LRS installation deployment manager and Operation K.U.D.O.S. project officer, said she could not have done it without their help.
"So many people participated from around the base; it was a true team effort," she said.
Captain Kikta said the young troops had a variety of experiences during their short deployment to "Andrewsland."
"Kids had physical, fitness training, their faces painted; were fingerprinted, used night vision goggles and were able to see a military working dog demonstration. There was a little of everything to give the children a true deployment experience," Captain Kikta said.
As for the highlight of the young troops' day?
"Without a doubt it was going on the flight line and onboard the KC-135 that we had available to them from the 459th Air Refueling Wing," Captain Kikta said. "They were able to interact with the pilots, get on board and touch and see the plane - that was the best part of the day for them."
Captain Kikta said it was the goal of Operation K.U.D.O.S. to give children a better idea as to what parents go through when they deploy.
"I think in that regard, the day was a great success," she said.