Students 'deploy' for Operation Combat Care

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Ed Ekpoudom
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFPN) --  Students at Lakenheath Middle School received “orders” to deploy for Operation Combat Care from Feb. 23 to 25, but before the students could deploy, they first had to go through a processing line.

More than 240 students moved through mock deployment-processing lines at the middle school on Royal Air Force Feltwell after receiving orders from their teachers during class.

The mission, Operation Combat Care, enhanced students’ awareness and knowledge of what their parents experience before deployments and how the processing lines serve as a means to accomplish that mission.

“One of the goals of the processing lines was to get the kids involved with the deployment process,” said Tech. Sgt. Gayle Smith, family support center deployment coordinator. “By getting the kids involved, we hope to enhance a sense of community and minimize the negative effects of family separations for our Department of Defense Dependents Schools students.”

The processing lines were about one hour each day and featured briefings from people representing base organizations that typically participate in deployment-processing.

The students started the event with an assembly in a school auditorium and were then led from station to station by designated student troop commanders. The stations ranged from a chemical warfare protective equipment class, where students had an opportunity to don the equipment, and attend finance and medical briefings.

“We tried to get a true representation of a typical processing line,” Sergeant Smith said.

The event also highlighted the strong partnership between the base and DODDS, said Trudy Pollard, a sixth-grade teacher at the middle school.

Mrs. Pollard credits Sergeant Smith for bringing the idea forward and making the event suitable and interesting for sixth-graders.

“Every session was appropriate for a 12 year old,” Mrs. Pollard said. “It was tailored to their need for activity and involvement.”

Both the processing line briefers and the students said they found the event beneficial.

“I wish I could have had my 8 year old go through this,” said Tech. Sgt. Sharad Surujnath of the 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and a mock processing line chemical warfare protective equipment instructor.

“It was good and encouraging to students,” said Kathleen Anderson, a sixth-grader and daughter of Lt. Col. Joseph Anderson, 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron commander. “We don’t have to worry as much about (our parents) deploying.” (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)