Operation: Military Kids Program Hosts 5th Annual Camp

For a week in August, Kelleys Island on Lake Erie was home for 227 campers participating in the Operation: Military Kids (OMK) program, which held its 5th annual camp this year.  The camp, a joint effort of Ohio 4-H and the Ohio National Guard’s Family Readiness Program, is for youths who have parents in any branch of the military who have been deployed, are currently deployed, or are preparing to deploy overseas.

              New this year, OMK held two camps simultaneously, one for 9- to 11-year-olds at the Erie County 4-H Camp, and another for teens at Camp Patmos, a mile down the road.  This expansion, made possible by additional funding from the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as cash and in-kind donations, enabled slots for nearly 100 additional campers.  This year’s teen camp included a community service project in which campers painted tables at the local VFW post and laid a paver sidewalk to improve access to the local veterans’ memorial.

              A unique aspect of the camp is the participation of military service members.  Each day, “Military Moments” is devoted to military values such as honor, loyalty, courage, commitment, integrity, and selfless service.  A highlight of the week was when Major General Matthew Kambic, Assistant Adjutant General, Army, led a team of military leaders from all five branches of the service in landing a Chinook helicopter on the camp field.

              Closing ceremonies included a delegation of seven state legislators, the mayors of Kelleys Island and Marblehead, and several donors, including Bob Joseph, a graduate of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.  In addition, checks totaling $11,500 were presented from new donors Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Cash America International, Check Smart Financial, Meijer, Proggemeyer Design Group, Nucor Steel Marion, Inc., and Tom Pappas & Associates.

              State Representative Peter Ujvagi described the bill that he and Representative Ross McGregor sponsored to make August “Ohio Military Family Month.”  On behalf of the legislators, Rep. Ujvagi presented camp directors – Theresa Ferrari, the Project Director of Operation: Military Kids and youth development specialist with Ohio 4-H, and Sue Ann Carroll, State Youth Coordinator with the Ohio National Guard – with a certificate congratulating Operation: Military Kids Camp on its fifth anniversary and for its “remarkable record of service to the community.”              The OMK program is a partnership with Army Child, Youth, and School Services; National 4-H Headquarters; and Ohio 4-H Youth Development.  For information of Ohio’s program, see http://operationmilitarykids.ohio4h.org. – Christy George

Many thanks to all of the individual donors who support OMK as well as these donors:

• USO of Central Ohio
• Ohio 4-H Foundation
• AT&T Pioneers, Ohio Life Member Council
• Ohio Child Conservation League
• OSU Army ROTC Alumni Society
• Leland Foundation, Inc.
• American Legion Post 188
• American Legion Post 733, Ladies Auxiliary American Legion Post 733, American Legion Riders
• Covenant Presbyterian Church, Columbus
• St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Columbus
• Ceramics Anonymous, Inc., Columbus
• Accenture (Fairborn)

For information on how to donate to Operation: Military Kids, contact the 4-H Foundation office at 614-292-6943.

Original Article

April marks ‘Month of the Military Child’

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Nancy McMillan
Joint Force Headquarters-Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Department of Defense knows the value of caring for
Servicemembers and celebrating their children’s role in the Family.

April is designated by the Defense Department as the “Month of the Military Child,” underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community. It is a time to pay tribute to children and recognize the commitment, sacrifice and support they show as they face the special challenges of being a military child. Throughout the month, military commands will honor the young heroes with special events just for them.

The Ohio National Guard Family Readiness Program offers a variety of events geared toward children and their Family. There are 10 camps, located throughout Ohio, offered to Guard youth and adults at minimal or no cost.

“We have social, educational and recreational activities for the Families,” said Erin Berry, youth program specialist for Operation Military Kids.

Hero Camps, Troop and Family Camp, Troop and Teen Camp, and Camp Kelley’s Island are just a few that serve to strengthen relationships and expand boundaries between the Servicemember and child.

“The focus: we want kids to have fun while building resiliency and confidence,” Berry said.

Today, the nation’s military children face many obstacles, such as having a parent deployed for extended periods of time. Ohio’s Hero Camps have an added measure in helping kids through those rough patches.

“We present one-hour breakout sessions where Families are divided into two groups: pre- and currently-deployed, and post-deployed Soldiers,” Berry said.

The sessions are geared toward encouraging communication between the child and the Soldier, verbally or otherwise.

“For pre- and currently-deployed, we recommend a ‘memory box,’” Berry said. Small gifts, letters, movie stubs or stuffed animals are just a few ideal keepsakes that can ease the distance between parents and children.

“We suggest a ‘mailbox’ for post-deployed Families. When verbal communication is hard, a written note or invitation for a walk or lunch, placed in the mailbox, can be an ice breaker,” Berry said.

As members of the Ohio National Guard extended Family, “Servicemembers and their Families make tremendous contributions and sacrifices,” said Lt. Col. Robert “Buck” Bramlish, state Family Readiness Program director.

Programs and events that celebrate the nationally recognized Month of the Military Child stress the importance of providing children with quality services and support to help them succeed in the military lifestyle.

“Every month is the Month of the Military Child for us,” Berry said. “We have programs and events, not just in April, but throughout the year,” he said, citing Zoo Family Day in Akron, Columbus and Cincinnati as a great activity for Families, while Ohio State University Military Family Days offer the fun and excitement of OSU baseball, basketball and hockey games.

Building and maintaining strong, resilient Guard Families takes a great amount of attention and effort, and is essential for keeping Soldiers at their best.

“Camaraderie, team building, support, communication and fun is the center of our initiative,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, Ohio adjutant general.

The Defense Department and the Ohio National Guard know that the benefits and rewards of making Family time in the armed forces can last a lifetime.

Original Article