Family Fun Fest puts focus on Travis' children

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nicole Leidholm
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Travis held its third annual Family Fun Fest April 1 at the Airman and Family Readiness Center parking lot to kick off Month of the Military Child, National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Autism Awareness Month.

Caspar Weinberger, former Secretary of Defense, established April as the Month of the Military Child in 1986, underscoring the importance of military children and their role in military families.

The collaborative event recognized and celebrated military children.

"The Family Fun Fest honors our military children and makes them feel like they matter," said Latrise Muchison, 60th MDOS Family Advocacy outreach manager. "Sometimes parents have to work different schedules or deploy. It's a good way for them to have fun with their children."

Commanders from the 60th Air Mobility Wing, 349th AMW and representing the 621st Contingency Response Wing kicked off the event with a proclamation signing and presented it to a representatives from the 60th Medical Operations Squadron Family Advocacy and Family Service Flights and the Exceptional Family Member Program Coordinator before planting pinwheels with children from the Child Development Centers and Youth Programs in the pinwheel garden.

The proclamation initiated a series of base activities that specifically address children and their development, including various Youth Program activities and the autism walk later this month. The proclamation also paid tribute to military children, acknowledging their commitment, support and sacrifices as their parents serve in the armed services.

"Living in either military or civilian communities, in urban, suburban or rural settings, military children experience unique challenges related to military life and culture," said Col. Joel Jackson, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. "Due to frequent moves, many military children experience disrupted relationships with friends and must adapt to new schools and cultivate new community resources."

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, there are 2 million military children, ranging in age from newborn to 18 years old, with 1.3 million being school age. Care of military children sustains the fighting force and strengthens the health, security and safety of the nation's families and communities.

"At Travis, we currently have more than 600 Airmen deployed around the globe leaving their loved ones and families at home," Jackson said.

The event, which was aimed at providing fun yet educational information, reached approximately 700 individuals.

According to Muchison, the focus of the Family Fun Fest was health, wellness and safety of children and their families.

"We wanted to show parents what resources are available to them and their children, both on and off base," Muchison said.

Some of the agencies that provided information to parents and activities for children included Travis' security forces and emergency medical service personnel, law enforcement representatives from Fairfield and Vacaville Police Departments and California Highway Patrol and representatives from NorthBay Healthcare and Camp Mendocino, to name a few. Individuals from David Grant USAF Medical Center also provided health safety information.

The carnival-like atmosphere brought rock climbing, face painting, cotton candy, snow cones, games and activities for the children.

"It is important we take the time to observe the additional challenges children in military families face, as well as raise awareness about child abuse and autism," Jackson said. "Our children make sacrifices and serve their country as much as anyone in uniform does, quietly shouldering part of the burden. What they do is very important and should not go unnoticed."