100 volunteers needed for children’s ‘deployment day’ May 1 Published April 1, 2010 By Karen Abeyasekere 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Volunteers are needed to help with "Operation Together and Ready," a day when Department of Defense Dependent Schools students will get to experience part of what their parents go through when getting ready to deploy. Volunteers can be any rank and are needed to carry out a variety of jobs prior to, or during the May 1 event. That includes set-up and tear-down, signing in families at the check-in area, chaperoning unaccompanied children, manning static displays and barbecueing. More opportunities are also available. In addition, sharp Airmen (airman basic to senior airman) are needed to serve as troop commanders, to be in charge of "chalks" of children for the duration of the day. There will be about 50 children of various ages in each chalk. "This is a good opportunity for the base community, whether Airman, NCO, spouse or teenager, to come together to help out this worthwhile event, which deals with our children," said Master Sgt. Angela Willis, 352nd Special Operations Group and volunteer coordinator for the event. "Our children only know that we deploy, but they cannot understand the concept of it. This event will allow them to see what moms and dads deal with when going through the deployment process," she said. "It will give them a better outlook and prepare them in the event that we are deployed again." Anyone interested is asked to sign up by April 21 with Sergeant Willis at DSN 238-4847.