Free camps offer community, fun to Pa. Guard children

Courtesy Photo | The Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s Child & Youth team coordinates a handful of overnight camps for children of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers throughout the year but more popularly in the summer. According to Thomas Bradbury, a Soldier & Family Readiness Manager, the camps help these children by connecting them with other children of PNG Soldiers and allows them to participate in a variety of fun camp activities at no cost to their parents. (Courtesy photo by Andrew Waters)  

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, UNITED STATES

03.09.2023

Story by Maj. Travis Mueller 

Joint Force Headquarters - Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – According to the Department of Defense, there are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents' service.

Of that 1.6 million are the children of National Guardsmen who go through the same struggles as children of active-duty service members but lack access to the same kinds of programs, services and community offered to those active-duty children.

Despite that lack of access, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s State Family Programs office does what they can to connect National Guard kids and families and build a community where they can support each other.

One such way they do that is through the child and youth summer camp program.

The Pennsylvania ARNG’s Child & Youth team coordinates a handful of overnight camps throughout the year but more popularly in the summer. According to Thomas Bradbury, a Soldier & Family Readiness Manager, the camps help children of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers by connecting them with other children of PNG Soldiers and allows them to participate in a variety of fun camp activities at no cost to their parents.

“These benefits are very important because it is not uncommon for a child of a Pennsylvania National Guardsman to not interact with other children of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen on a regular basis, and not every Guardsman can afford to send their children to expensive, high-quality overnight camps,” said Bradbury. “The camps also allow the Guardsmen to have some downtime over their child's summer break as the camps are overnight and residential for the duration.”

While helping PNG children build friendships, the camps have historically included swimming, hiking, climbing walls, fishing, paddle boating and other fun outdoor activities. The teen camp has included a visit to a nearby college or university.

Planning for these camps begins a year in advance, with the Child & Youth team working closely with the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office here to ensure camp contracts are awarded properly.

“The most important aspect people should know is these camps are carefully planned, crafted and run with the understanding that the attendees are children of Pennsylvania Guardsmen,” said Bradbury. “The camp provider who runs the camp has to meet a variety of criteria and standards set by the Pennsylvania National Guard in order to be selected and we work very closely with them to ensure all expectations are exceeded.”

Though the camps are Army-funded, families of Pennsylvania National Guard Airmen are encouraged to be on the lookout should camp slots become available for their children.

Registration for this summer’s camps will be open in April. The planned dates for 2023 camps are:
- Camp Kidet, June 23-25
- Teen Challenge Camp, June 6-9
- Kid’s A.T. Camp, June 16-21
- Camp 5 Star, July 28-30

For further information about these camps, like the locations of the camps or registration process, please contact your Soldier & Family Readiness Specialist.

Also, follow the PNG Soldier Services Division on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pngsmfs.

• Date Taken: 03.09.2023
• Date Posted: 03.08.2023 22:04
• Story ID: 439999
• Location: FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US