HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- To help bridge the gap between military parents and their kids, Hurlburt Field hosted a children’s mock-deployment event April 11, 2026.
The interactive event, officially known as Operation Discovering and Exploring Military Operations or D.E.M.O., is hosted bi-monthly by the Military & Family Readiness Center to showcase deployment procedures in an age-appropriate way.
“We understand that our children don’t fully comprehend, at certain ages, what it is that we do or what it is that we are called to do,” said Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hoston, an M&FRC readiness noncommissioned officer assigned to the 823rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers. “These types of events help bridge the gap, showing that mom and dad are going downrange to do something that’s important and contributes to the mission.”
Operation D.E.M.O. includes events for pre-deployment, mid-cycle readiness and welcome-home celebrations. The mid-cycle readiness phase was the spotlight for this iteration.
To represent physical fitness requirements in the mid-cycle readiness phase, the M&FRC and the Hurlburt Field Health and Wellness Center facilitated a kid-friendly workout. Children were shouting cadences during exercises, low crawling through an obstacle course and splashing each other with water ballons to improve their aim.
In addition, school liaisons, M&FRC consultants and chaplains attended the event to ensure families are aware of available support resources.
“We bring these resources to introduce themselves and what services they offer,” said another M&FRC readiness noncommissioned officer assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing. “We're just trying to make them aware we have these resources if they’re struggling.”
The program is designed to help children understand why their parent can be away for long periods of time, while bringing together a community of military families who share similar experiences.
“This helps us build a community where everyone feels included and can rely on one another," said the M&FRC readiness noncommissioned officer assigned to the 1st SOW. “We're all affected in some way, and we want to make sure no one is left out.”
Operation D.E.M.O. will return in June for its next bi-monthly iteration, focusing on the welcome home phase. Families interested in participating, or those looking for additional deployment support, can contact the Hurlburt Field Military & Family Readiness Center at [(850) 884-5441] (tel:8508845441) or on their website https://myhurlburt.com/mfrc/