Military children get a taste of deployment

By Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs / Published June 07, 2017

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 15

A child looks through a rifle scope during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event hosted by the 5th Force Support Squadron that allows military children to undergo a mock deployment to help them better understand what their parents experience abroad. (U.S. Air Force photos/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 15

A child eats an insect at the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape booth during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to-Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photos/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 15

A child sits in an ejection seat during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event hosted by the 5th Force Support Squadron that allows military children to undergo a mock deployment to help them better understand what their parents experience abroad. (U.S. Air Force photos/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 15

A child receives candy after sampling a Meal Ready-to-Eat during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to-Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 5 of 15

A child receives a dog tag during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to-Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 6 of 15

A child colors a picture during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to-Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 7 of 15

Airman 1st Class Michael Hosfield, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal apprentice, helps a child control an EOD robot during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to -Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 8 of 15

A child poses for a photo during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event hosted by the 5th Force Support Squadron that allows military children to undergo a mock deployment to help them better understand what their parents experience abroad. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 9 of 15

Ashton Trujillo participates in Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. The event simulated for families several aspects of what military members go through when they deploy.(U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 10 of 15

Operation Heroes participants are welcomed home from a simulated deployment at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. The event simulated for families several aspects of what military members go through when they deploy.(U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 11 of 15

Ashton Trujillo launches an air rocket during Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event that also included gear to try on, different weapons displays and a deployment line. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 12 of 15

Minot Air Force Base families check in at the Operation Heroes event at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes gives families the experience of what military members do when they deploy. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 13 of 15

Ashton Trujillo shows off his Operation Heroes dog tags at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Children from the base participated in Operation Heroes which gives them a taste of what it’s like to deploy like their parents. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 14 of 15

Parker Trujillo gets his face painted during the Operation Heroes event at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event that gives kids the experience of what their parents go through when they deploy. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 15 of 15

Members from the 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron convoy response force help children gear up at Operation Heroes at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 3, 2017. Operation Heroes is an annual event that also included gear to try on, different weapons displays and a deployment line. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo)

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Operation Heroes is an annual event hosted by the 5th Force Support Squadron that allows military children to undergo a mock deployment to help them better understand what their parents experience abroad. During the event, children tasted Meals Ready-to-Eat, tried on gear, saw weapons displays and created custom-made dog tags. The event concluded with a redeployment line and a welcome home celebration. (U.S. Air Force photos/Staff Sgt. Chad Trujillo and Senior Airman Sahara L. Fales)

If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.