Coping With War: Military Kids Head to Camp

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Aug. 24, 2006 — -- Hundreds of kids with parents in the military have been attending summer camps as part of Operation Military Kids, a program designed to offer kids some relief as their parents head off to war.

"The kids, they are under a lot of stress," said Sheryl Justice, whose son, Jason, attended one of the camps.

His dad is in the National Guard and is soon heading to Iraq, so Jason's mom brought him to a 4-H camp in Arkansas to get his mind off the worry of seeing his dad ship out.

"No kid wants to do it, I know that. But it's just hard," Jason said.

Another camper, Jordan Winder, 12, said he was most worried about his father "getting hurt."

"That's my biggest worry," Winder said.

"You know, it's just frightening," camper Brittany Junkins said.

"My dad's actually been to war," 9-year-old camper Allison McMurry said. "A couple of times he got shot at but missed. I don't talk to other kids about it."

That's part of why these kids are brought together, so they can share their experiences with those who understand. The camps are in 17 states, including Arkansas, where these children go to camp in Little Rock. Children can stay at the camp for as little as one day or as long as a week.

To help them feel more comfortable about their parents' work, they are shown equipment designed to protect their parents at war and given the opportunity to construct tiny mock-ups of robots that disable bombs.

They are also are reminded of why their parents are needed elsewhere.

"They are rebuilding lives for people, and they're doing good things for people in another part of the world," said Connie Phelps, an assistant professor with 4-H Youth Development.

When counselors ask them to describe the stress they're experiencing, 12-year old Kailey Martin had a simple response regarding her dad: "He missed my 12th birthday."

She and the others at these camps have the chance to find support from other kids.

"It just makes you feel like you're not alone," Jason Justice said. "When you're not alone, you can handle pretty much anything."

That's especially important for him, because, like hid dad, his mother is in the National Guard and ships out in February.