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Goodfellow hosts Operation: K.I.D.S.

U.S. Army Pvt. Ricky Williams, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion student, teaches Dominick Cardens, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, how to shoot a paintball gun during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Goodfellow’s Army and Marine Corps help provide the children with a joint-service mock deployment for Operation K.I.D.S. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Army Pvt. Ricky Williams, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion student, teaches Dominick Cardens, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, how to shoot a paintball gun during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Goodfellow’s Army and Marine Corps help provide the children with a joint-service mock deployment for Operation K.I.D.S. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nestor Reyes, 17th Security Force Squadron Combat Arms instructor, teaches children about Air Force issued weapons during Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. The weapon familiarization and other activities gave the children a taste of a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nestor Reyes, 17th Security Force Squadron Combat Arms instructor, teaches children about Air Force issued weapons during Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. The weapon familiarization and other activities gave the children a taste of a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Noah Tait, Goodfellow Marine Corps Detachment student, starts a patrol with children during Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Each child had chance to understand what the armed services go through during a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Noah Tait, Goodfellow Marine Corps Detachment student, starts a patrol with children during Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Each child had chance to understand what the armed services go through during a deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

Trystan Obenchain, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, paints U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Kricate Masters, Goodfellow Marine Corps Detachment 1st Platoon students awaiting training commander, during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. The event focused on providing a greater understanding of the military and what the branches do. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

Trystan Obenchain, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, paints U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Kricate Masters, Goodfellow Marine Corps Detachment 1st Platoon students awaiting training commander, during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. The event focused on providing a greater understanding of the military and what the branches do. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jennifer Wagner, 17th Training Wing command chief executive assistant, and Airman 1st Class Caitlyn Bailey, 17th Logistic Readiness Squadron logistics planner, hand out deployment kits for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at the Vance Deployment Center on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. exposed military and non-military children to a mock deployed experience. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jennifer Wagner, 17th Training Wing command chief executive assistant, and Airman 1st Class Caitlyn Bailey, 17th Logistic Readiness Squadron logistics planner, hand out deployment kits for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at the Vance Deployment Center on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. exposed military and non-military children to a mock deployed experience. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Downs, 17th Training Wing commander, briefs children for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at the Vance Deployment Center on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. simulated a deployment and gave children a joint environment exposure. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Downs, 17th Training Wing commander, briefs children for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at the Vance Deployment Center on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. simulated a deployment and gave children a joint environment exposure. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Cash, 17th Comptrollers Squadron customer service, paints fake wounds on to Olivia Akkurt, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. is an annual event designed to introduce military children to deployment operations that their parents may experience. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Cash, 17th Comptrollers Squadron customer service, paints fake wounds on to Olivia Akkurt, Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services deployer, during Operation: K.I.D.S. at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operation: K.I.D.S. is an annual event designed to introduce military children to deployment operations that their parents may experience. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

Children are fitted with battle gear for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operations K.I.D.S. gave children a mock deployment where they learned about weapons, patrolling and a joint-service environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

Children are fitted with battle gear for Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services at Camp Sentinel on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, May 20, 2017. Operations K.I.D.S. gave children a mock deployment where they learned about weapons, patrolling and a joint-service environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards/Released)

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of team Goodfellow supported the base’s Operation: Kids Investigating Deployed Services beginning at the Vance Deployment Center May 20.

Operation: K.I.D.S. is an annual event designed to introduce military children to deployment operations that their parents may experience.

“This brings them into my world and that’s what I really like,” said Tech. Sgt. Nathanael Meagher, 17th Force Support Squadron readiness NCO. “We want them to have a positive experience, and kind of grasp the understanding of what a deployment is.”

Col. Michael Downs, 17th Training Wing commander, kicked off the event with a mission brief, before the children deployed to Camp Sentinel, Goodfellow’s mock deployment area.

“I’m excited to go out there and see the deployment area,” said Olivia Akkurt, Operation: K.I.D.S. deployer. “I’m really having a lot of fun here.”

During the event, the deployers got a chance shoot paintballs with the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, patrol a village with the Goodfellow Marine Corps Detachment and learn about Air Force issued weapons from the 17th Security Forces Squadron.

“We want to expose them to the other branches,” Meagher said. “We do a lot of joint service stuff. We want them to be able to tell the differences in the uniforms and the branches.”

This year the base opened up to local children without a Department of Defense background.

“We try to get them in and blend them with military kids,” said Meagher. “We want them to have a bit of appreciation for the military and also show them that there are other job options out there than what they see here in San Angelo.”

Goodfellow plans to host another Operation: K.I.D.S. in the fall of 2017.