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914th Airmen partner with Flat Stanley to educate local school children

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Andrew Caya
  • 914th Airlift Wing
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  Grade school students around Niagara County were visited by Airmen of the 914th Airlift Wing and their special friend Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley is a school-age program created in 1995 about a character in a story who was flattened by an accident. Stanley was reduced to a two dimensional character which makes it possible for him to travel through the mail.

Across the nation young students make their own Flat Stanley and mail to people they know in other schools, states or countries as a way to improve their writing and communication skills and learn about different places.

In order to connect with the local community while deployed to southwest Asia, 914th Airlift Wing Airmen and Flat Stanley have become pen pals with young school children, telling their deployment stories via e-mail to children in different schools across the county.

Stateside, Airmen of the 914th traveled with Flat Stanley to several schools during the past two weeks to speak and demonstrate different tasks that servicemembers need to accomplish before deployment.

"The demonstration was educational and interesting," said Mrs. Carol L. Pizur, secretary to the principal at Kaegebein Elementary School. "All those in attendance learned about medical assistance, living conditions while on deployment, the gear and equipment necessary for survival in the conditions our troops are deployed to and most important that everyone is a member of a team."

The audience participated in each demonstration that the Airmen performed. The children were allowed to try on Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, handle personal protective equipment and did push-ups and sit-ups for a simulated physical training test.

"Students will remember the information they received and the interactions of the team with their classmates," said Mrs. Pizur. "Visualization is the best tool and what is imprinted on our minds will never leave."

One of the parents of the children is stationed at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and was very pleased to hear that his daughter met members of his unit.

"I think it's good that kids that age are exposed to different things such as the military; it makes them a well-rounded citizen," said Tech. Sgt. Joe Mesmer, assistant chief of personnel relocations for the 914th Airlift Wing.

The schools that were visited requested the Airmen and Flat Stanley to come back to visit and share more stories about the military way of life and deployments overseas.