Operation Military Kid Day Camp

By Deborah Cash Martin

What happens to a military kid when a parent goes off to fight in the war? What goes on in their minds and what changes happen in each of their lives when one of their parents leave the home to fight for their country and their world seems as if turned upside down?  Although they may not speak it, their minds are deeply worried about their parent coming home safely. Each time the news begins its broadcast on the update of the war, there is news of another solder once again being seriously insured or killed in the line of duty.

Being a military kid does not come without a price. Many times they are transferred without notice and end up attending a different school and having to make new friends from each place they are sent. Sometimes the schools are either ahead or behind what they have already studied and their grades may suffer due to the transfer of the child. New friends have to be made and sometimes that is not easy. Once again they are called the new kid in school and in the neighborhood.

These children experience stress of just being a military kid. They have many needs and require a special kind of support from their community and peers. A program called Bibb County 4-H Youth Operation Military Kids has devised a way to help the military kids receive the support of other military kids and special groups of adults who make a point of being their for these kids.

On June 30, Operation Military Kid Day Camp was held at the Heritage Park in Brent. To participate, children were first to get permission (RSVP) from their parents and bring 2 can goods to be donated to DHR when the event was over.

The Local Alabama Cooperative Extension System is speaking out for the Military Kids and bringing them together for help and support. They are helping to also educate the community regarding the issues the Military Children have to face when one of their parents have to leave them behind.

4-H Region Extension Agent for Bibb And Shelby County Joy Maxwell introduced two children who had relatives that are serving in the military or is at this time stationed in Iraq. One of those kids was Kira Marie Nix who said her God Father, Jackie Sims had been to Iraq and has since returned and is now training solders for the war. She said he has a teaching class in Kentucky Alabama. Kira said it was hard that her Godfather was not around now because he had been a major part of her life. She said he now is missing most of their family events due to his dedication.

Kaycee Creel is nearly nine-years-old. She said the military was very important to her because the solders are fighting for our country. Kaycee said all her family members in the military have since come home and was very glad they were safe. Kaycee was very shy and when asked what she thought about the 4-H, she nodded yes, it was fun. 

The kids played Frisbee Golf, made a Wacky Worm Farm and had a Cup Cake Workshop along with Arts and Crafts, Red Cross and much more. Lunch was served and snacks served at the appropriate time. Maxwell said there were about 50 kids participating in today’s event.

A Military Operation Kid Grant in the amount of $2,000 sponsored this program event today. The person who runs the grant and applied for the grant is Operation Military Kids Coordinator Charlene Hines and she is also an Extension State Agent for Auburn University. Maxwell said she applied for several grants for several counties. There were also a host of volunteers from all around the county at hand helping with the kids and their planned activities.

Hines said, “We are doing this to recognize our military youth in all the counties. She said, Alabama has 35,000 military children and these kids give up a lot to be a military kid.” Hines said these people are special and they need extra support and this program is designed to give that support to the military children. This program provides them with camping activities and opportunities to talk about being a military kid. This program helps to provide a great safety net for the military kids.

Hines said a camp was done last week and 105 kids participated. These kids were from all over the State of Alabama from 27 different counties. Cave diving, rock climbing, canoeing down the Cahaba, robotics, rocketry, GPS, campfires and swimming.

The main goal of this project is to be there for the military kids and to understand that these kids have different issues at hand than the normal kid in school. Understanding these children’s needs has become a focal point in the 4-H Extension System. .