Photo By Staff Sgt. Tyler Woodward | Jake January and Garret Poindexter, youth volunteer leaders at Kids Kamp, celebrate...... read more read more
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Oklahoma National Guard hosts a joint kids’ camp for military dependents July 20 to July 26 at Camp Gruber Training Site in Braggs, Okla., providing fun and knowledge about the military.
The guard created the Kids Kamp to help campers cope with the realities of having a family member in the military, while building bonds with other campers and youth volunteers.
“It’s to give military kids an idea of what their dad, mom, grandpa, brother or sister do,” camp director Lt. Col. Freddie Crowson said.
The camp’s theme “hunt for the good stuff” encourages campers to maintain a positive outlook on life, no matter the situation. For a military dependent, these situations could mean a missed recital, a lost weekend or even an absence of several months.
“We can’t get that time back, but we can enjoy the time we have now,” Capt. Barry McCoy, deputy child and youth program coordinator, said as he spoke to campers.
In its 18th year, the camp includes rappelling, archery, leather working, swimming, fishing, a tour of a military memorial, drill and ceremony, tie dye, tactical capture the flag, and fishing.
These activities are not only fun, but are also designed to challenge the campers in leadership, discipline and teamwork, using both Army and Air Force core values to overcome challenges.
“I hope that they grow and mature,” Crowson said. “If they get out here, get out of their comfort zones and bond with other kids getting out of theirs, they’ll grow.”
The 110 adult and youth volunteers helped to organize and lead the nearly 100 campers. Campers’ ages range from 4 – 13 years old, while the volunteers can begin at age 14. Volunteers and campers are from both Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard.
“On the military side, we are trying to be more joint,” Crowson said. “We want to carry it over to the kids. Especially in Oklahoma, we want to develop teamwork, because, bottom line, we are the Oklahoma National Guard with close to 10,000 members.”
Though military members are the minority in the U.S., activities that engage and unify the members and their families remain important. The attendance of Oklahoma National Guardsmen and their families has become crucial to continue the camp each year.
“The military now consists of less than 1 percent of the nation’s population,” Crowson said. “These kids are dependents of that less than 1 percent.”
Kids Kamp 2014 participants encourage other members and their families to attend future camps as a way to continue the celebration and bond of Guardsmen and their families.
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2014 00:50 |
| Story ID: | 137086 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 276 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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