# Migrant children at LR Air Force base. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 20, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455 "2018-06-20T18:03:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/1 "2018-06-20T18:03:04Z")
LRAFB is being considered as a place to [house migrant children](http://5newsonline.com/2018/06/20/little-rock-air-force-base-under-consideration-to-temporarily-house-immigrant-children/). That is just great, another bad mark for a state without enough Representatives. Carter housed escaped Cubans here, and now we take on these poor kids. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/2 "2018-06-20T18:43:06Z")
Little Rock, huh? Wonder how they came up with this location? ---
**Author:** ![Allecher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Allecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allecher)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/3 "2018-06-20T19:01:04Z")
One theory that I heard is that LRAFB has space for such a program since they have reduced the number of units housed there in the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/4 "2018-06-20T19:24:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Little Rock, huh? Wonder how they came up with this location? It is closer to Jacksonville, AR. Carter housed Cubans at Fort Chaffe in Arkansas because we have fewer Representatives to fuss about it than other states. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Allecher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Allecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allecher)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/5 "2018-06-20T19:45:35Z")
This is a wild-assed guess, but I see that [American and United airlines are asking the government not to transport the children on their planes](https://www.kgun9.com/news/national/american-airlines-asks-the-government-not-to-fly-separated-children-on-its-planes?partner=scripps&partner-sub=KGUN&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=scripps&utm_content=KGUN), so perhaps they want to take advantage of the available C130s at LRAFB. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/6 "2018-06-20T19:59:06Z")
> [@Allecher](#): > > This is a wild-assed guess, but I see that [American and United airlines are asking the government not to transport the children on their planes](https://www.kgun9.com/news/national/american-airlines-asks-the-government-not-to-fly-separated-children-on-its-planes?partner=scripps&partner-sub=KGUN&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=scripps&utm_content=KGUN), so perhaps they want to take advantage of the available C130s at LRAFB. That very well may be. I don’t know what troop transport is set up like. I’ve seen WWII type jump seats, but I don’t know if troops are regularly transported like that or if there are airline like seats. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/7 "2018-06-20T20:15:22Z")
Thanks for the link, too, Allecher. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/8 "2018-06-20T20:23:52Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That is just great, another bad mark for a state without enough Representatives. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Carter housed Cubans at Fort Chaffe in Arkansas because we have fewer Representatives to fuss about it than other states. 🙂 Uh, what are you talking about? This sounds like an axe to grind that is on a larger issue than just the housing of children, but just so you know, the state with the second-most representatives has three bases being examined for housing the kids. I’d just like to know why you think Arkansas is under-represented. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/9 "2018-06-20T22:07:19Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That very well may be. I don’t know what troop transport is set up like. I’ve seen WWII type jump seats, but I don’t know if troops are regularly transported like that or if there are airline like seats. They have (at least) 2 types of seats. The paratroop seats, and ‘regular’ airline type. Both are not really comfortable. They are easily reconfigured. The paratroop seats are designed for passengers wearing parachutes, very long from ‘knee’ to back. Without a parachute, you don’t sit, you slouch. No padding. Plus you are sitting sideways in the plane - makes take off and landings a bit disconcerting. The regular seats are slightly more comfortable, but thin padding. They are installed backwards, because airplanes don’t back into mountains (or anything else, really). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/10 "2018-06-21T00:10:36Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Uh, what are you talking about? > > This sounds like an axe to grind that is on a larger issue than just the housing of children, but just so you know, the state with the second-most representatives has three bases being examined for housing the kids. I’d just like to know why you think Arkansas is under-represented. We aren’t unrepresented, seats are determined by population. It does make it easier to dump Cubans on us, and yes, I shouldn’t have crouched about that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/11 "2018-06-21T00:13:37Z")
> [@Dobbs](#): > > The regular seats are slightly more comfortable, but thin padding. They are installed backwards, because airplanes don’t back into mountains (or anything else, really). I believe that Alistair MacLean pointed that out in one of his novels. You are pushed against the seat in a military aircraft, and thrown forward in a commercial airliner. Thanks, Dobbs! It seems the kids will have a comfortable trip if they arrive by C-130. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/12 "2018-06-21T22:29:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I believe that Alistair MacLean pointed that out in one of his novels. You are pushed against the seat in a military aircraft, and thrown forward in a commercial airliner. > Thanks, Dobbs! It seems the kids will have a comfortable trip if they arrive by C-130. Well, I wouldn’t call a C-130, C-141, or C-5 comfortable. I was only addressing the seat issue. Beyond that, there is the lack of insulation. The skin of the aircraft is exposed\*, partly to allow easy access to all the various systems, and partly because it add weight. As a result, it’s noisy. Ear plugs are not required, but highly recommended. The crew will often have a big box and hand them out. Also, when you’re up at 25,000 ft or higher, it gets cold. Real cold. Sure, there’s a heater, but it feels like they have only two settings, ‘off’ and ‘out of control’. I remember an over night flight from Germany to the US with a broken heater, and maybe 6 blankets for about 20 people. I didn’t get a bit of sleep. Depending on the flight, there may or may not be a ‘comfort palette’ - that is, a Port-A-Potty. I don’t remember ever seeing one on a C-130, and not all C-141s had them. \*The C-5 has a passenger area above the cargo area, behind the cockpit (no stairs, climb a ladder). It may be insulated, and I’m fairly sure has permanent latrine facilities. I only rode there 2 or 3 times, and it was all over 30 years ago. They can put the ‘regular’ airplane seats in the cargo space, and carry about 500 passengers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/13 "2018-06-21T23:57:16Z")
That doesn’t seem so good for children. It is a rumor, and we know the current administration is thoughtful and caring. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/14 "2018-06-22T12:44:48Z")
The government is also considering some [Federal land in Kelso,](https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/06/21/proposed-child-holding-site-in-arkansas-5-miles-from-wwii-japanese-american-internment-camphttps://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/06/21/proposed-child-holding-site-in-arkansas-5-miles-from-wwii-japanese-american-internment-camp) AR. Kelso is three miles away from the Japanese internment camp in Rohwer. George Takei was held there when he was a child during WWII. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/15 "2018-06-27T01:51:51Z")
Two [military bases in Texas](https://www.npr.org/2018/06/25/623143814/pentagon-will-build-2-more-temporary-camps-to-house-migrants-mattis-says) have been chosen. I hope that families will be reunited. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/16 "2018-06-27T16:36:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > We aren’t unrepresented, seats are determined by population. It does make it easier to dump Cubans on us, and yes, I shouldn’t have crouched about that. Thank you for the answer, but I don’t understand it. Can I ask again what idea you were trying to convey by talking about a state without enough representatives? And also, what do Cubans have to do with this? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/17 "2018-06-27T16:49:31Z")
States that have fewer Representatives than other states tend to get bad things, like missile bases the Russians may shoot at and Cuban detainees. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrant-children-at-lr-air-force-base/816455/18 "2018-06-27T16:59:26Z")
I was evacuated for a hurricane on a C-17. The seats were sideways and not uncomfortable to me…