Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Command-wide youth summer camps aid military families

Courtesy Photo | Teens participate is a summer camp event at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in April 2010. Air Mobility Command officials at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., say summer camps tie directly into Comprehensive Airman Fitness. CAF is a methodology that allows AMC to focus its efforts to take care of Airmen and their families, providing for their physical, mental and social fitness.  

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, UNITED STATES

09.29.2010

Story by Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol                                                                                        

Air Mobility Command

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- With school just starting in communities near many of the bases in Air Mobility Command, many of the youth in AMC's military families will most likely be able to write their essays on "what I did this summer" thanks to a host of youth summer camps held command-wide in 2010.

AMC officials say the summer camps tie directly into Comprehensive Airman Fitness, or CAF. CAF is a methodology that allows AMC to focus its efforts to take care of Airmen and their families, providing for their physical, mental, and social fitness, officials said. The intent is to create and sustain communities on AMC installations that give Airmen and their families a sense of belonging to the Air Force community, in which they live, work, and play.

Ms. Susan Long, command child and youth specialist at Headquarters AMC at Scott AFB, said AMC youth programs have offered more than 50 camp programs this past fall, winter, spring and summer with more than $100,000 that was provided by the Air Force for 2010 camps.

"Each youth center at AMC bases partnered with outdoor recreation, bowling centers, arts and craft centers, golf courses, local community colleges and other organizations to offer youth specialty camps," Ms. Long said.

At Travis AFB, Calif., youth participated in a host of activities throughout the past year that included a tennis camp, golf, softball and bowling camps, and art and music camps.

"Travis youth programs had an action-packed summer and the camps we held were so popular that both parents and youth have asked that we try and provide the same type of programs during our winter and spring breaks," said Mr. Steven Metcalf, youth program coordinator with the 60th Force Support Squadron at Travis AFB.

As some of the Travis AFB camps focused on sports themes, some camps at Dover AFB, Del., included a focus on dance. Ms. Marti Hosterman, youth program coordinator for the 436th Force Support Squadron at Dover AFB, said they offered one camp for youth ages 9 to 12 yrs and another for youth ages 13 to 18.

"We offered a week long 'total dance experience' camp which taught hip hop, line dancing, jazz, ballet, country-western and salsa dancing to participants," Ms. Hosterman said. "We also offered a six-week summer dance camp. Dancers attended twice a week for six weeks and there was a recital for the final event with all parents invited to attend. Weekly trips to the pool and bowling center events were also organized for our summer day camp participants."

Another example includes programs at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Throughout 2010, they held a winter get-away in January, a "Teen Amazing Race" event in March and April, and hiking and fishing adventures events in July and September respectively.

Mr. Metcalf said having youth programs like camps have a place in AMC's CAF initiative.

"The youth who participated in these camps enjoyed some very special activities with great instruction and inspiring facilitators," Mr. Metcalf said. "Many of the parents who came to drop off their children in the morning or afternoon ended up staying to watch the fun and in some cases even got involved. When you see smiling faces leaving your activities, you know that some of that energy and morale carries through to that active duty spouse or the neighbor down the block. When personnel see enriching quality activities brought to their families, they bring more confidence and less stress to the job in knowing that they have the support of the community and that the Air Force cares."

Ms. Hosterman said their camps also promote fitness to youth.

"It is very important to encourage fitness and healthy habits amongst our youth and families today," Ms. Hosterman said. "Our youth center hosts summer cooking projects that teach healthy habits, portion control and fitness. It also provides opportunities for youth to 'get up, get out and get fit' at every opportunity. Youth do not even realize the physical fitness they are doing when they are participating in various program areas within the center."

AMC officials say the CAF culture continues to evolve. Changes are being made at the leadership level to the Community Action Information Boards and Integrated Delivery Systems at AMC bases. These committees are located at every base and major command and are comprised of helping agencies (such as the chapel, Airman and Family Readiness Center and youth centers) and meet regularly to find better ways to address Airmen and their families' needs.

The real change, officials said, takes place among junior Airmen and their families -- the bulk of the force -- and others who continue to think in terms of Comprehensive Airman Fitness. Mr. Metcalf said having quality programs such as camps is a step in that direction.

"Having the extra funds to put camps such as these together is the key that gives youth programs an opportunity to create quality summer programming that we have not had in the past," Mr. Metcalf said. "If funding support continues, we will be able to build on our success and program to meet the future and support the Comprehensive Airman Fitness initiative. If we design our programs to build on our mind, body and soul, we can't help but be successful in this initiative."

• Date Taken: 09.29.2010
• Date Posted: 09.29.2010 10:28
• Story ID: 57187
• Location: SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US