WASHINGTON — Children, some of them infants, lined up at the medical tent for their military physical. After passing the cursory examination, they were issued a specialty, armed, and sent out to battle.
Fortunately, the guns they received are made by Nerf, and their parents were close by to welcome them home.
This isn’t the story of child soldiers in war-torn countries, but rather the 4- to 16-year-old brood of the 172nd Infantry “Blackhawk” Brigade in Heidelberg, Germany engaging in “Blackhawk Kids Deploy for a Day” on Oct. 22. The one-day event allows the kids to get a taste of what many of their parents have experienced in their deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
The base has been headquarters to the 7th Army — the brigade’s parent unit — for more than 60 years.
After signing a one-day contract, receiving their physical, and choosing a Military Occupation Specialty, the kids head out to the field for training and exercises in their term of service.
“‘Deploy for a Day’ gives our Blackhawk kids the opportunity to experience the deployment process from start to finish,” says Elizabeth George, 172nd Infantry Brigade family readiness support assistant and event coordinator, according to a U.S. Army release.
“It allows them to relate to what their parents are doing in Afghanistan, but also teaches them about the deployment process,” she says. “One of the best lessons for these kids was the homecoming ceremony — there is a happy ending in sight and now they know what it will look like.”
The operation’s Facebook page helps parents cope during their offspring’s deployment.
At the end of their deployment, the children are welcomed home — just like many soldiers — with gifts from military support organizations, like Operation Gratitude, Operation Give-a-Hug and the USO. They also receive honorary memberships to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
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