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Ramstein Airmen provide 'boot camp' for military children

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tony R. Ritter
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) --  A group of Airmen organized "Boot Camp Week" for 3 to 5 year olds April 5 through 8 at the child development center at Rose Barracks in the Vilseck Military Community in Germany.

Tactical air control party Airmen from the 2nd Air Support Operations Squadron, whose normal mission is to direct combat aircraft onto enemy targets in a combat zone, volunteered several house with these children in honor of the "Month of the Military Child."

The training schedule for these children included physical training, first aid, land navigation, tactical vehicle familiarization and even a graduation ceremony.

The Airmen are stationed at a geographically separated unit belonging to the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing here.

"The CDC director called the squadron and asked us if we'd be interested in getting involved with this year's boot camp, so of course we jumped at the opportunity to support some of local kids," said Staff Sgt. Andrea Byers, a 2nd ASOS knowledge operator. "We started on Monday, getting the kids involved with some PT that included stretching, jumping jacks, push-ups and even some running."

The 2nd ASOS team mapped out a land navigation course using colorful maps and hidden camouflage eggs with helpful clues inside. They also brought in various military vehicles for the children to explore and get an idea of some of the equipment their military parents might work with on a daily basis.

"We thought this Boot Camp Week would be a wonderful opportunity for our kids to gain more awareness of what mommy and daddy are doing everyday when their away from home," said Hilsi Gomez, the Rose Barracks CDC director. "With the servicemembers' busy schedule and an increasing number of deployments, this is just one more way to help our children feel more connected with that military parent and more a part of their life."

Many of the Airmen involved had no children of their own, but quickly discovered the unique challenges and joy of working with children.

"I was excited to volunteer for this week and, as I have no kids of my own, I was a little surprised at how challenging it could be to train with 3 to 5 year olds," said Senior Airman Truman Smith, a 2nd ASOS TACP. "It's been a great experience interacting with them. There have been plenty of laughs, lots of fun and hopefully they even learned a few things along the way."