Children of full-time, active-duty soldiers are somewhat prepared
for the possibility of a parent being deployed during wartime.
Children of reservists and guardsmen typically aren’t.
To help military kids cope with separation and other issues related
to having a soldier-parent, the University of Georgia Extension
Service has designed a week of 4-H camp just for them.
“Operation 4-H: Joint Forces at the Falls” is set
for July 11-15 at Wahsega 4-H Center in Dahlonega, Ga. It will
bring together 120 of Georgia’s military teenagers.
The grant-funded camp costs just $25 for the week. It’s
open to 13- through 15-year-old kids whose parent is now, will
soon be or has recently been deployed. The parent can be in any
branch of service, with emphasis on the Army National Guard,
Air National Guard or Army Reserve.
“This camp will especially benefit children of parents
who are what we call ‘suddenly military,’” said
Mandy Marable, a UGA Extension 4-H specialist and Operation Military
Kids state coordinator. “Suddenly military kids are those
who have never before experienced their guard or reserve parent
being deployed.”
In the past, their parents served their country by spending one
weekend a month or a few training weeks each summer away from
home, Marable said.
“With Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on
terrorism, our country is relying more and more on guard and
reservists to defend our freedom,” she said. “When
a parent leaves for duty, it impacts the entire family. Operation
4-H is designed to help them cope.”
“Our campers go through the same ‘bag and drag’ experience
and deployment line on the first day,” she said. “They’re
issued dog tags and a T-shirt, which serves as their uniform.”
The military campers are awakened at 7 a.m. for their daily exercise
regime. They even eat military rations.
“The kids don’t really like getting up so early.
But we want the camp to be realistic,” Bledsoe said. “They
don’t eat exactly like their parents. We only serve them
the MREs (meals ready to eat) once.”
One of the main goals is to have the teens experience military
life, Marable said. But it’s still 4-H camp.
“The kids get to do all the things we do in every other
4-H camp across our state,” she said. “They’ll
go swimming and tubing, make crafts, climb high and low ropes
courses and play ultimate Frisbee, too.”
For more on “Operation 4-H: Joint Forces at the Falls,” see
the program’s Web site at www.georgia4h.org/main/Headlines/OMK/.
Competing
in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities for
international experiences. Our students are flocking to study-abroad
programs, thriving on the challenges inherent in confronting a
new cultural environment. More and more, students on campus are
also making choices that reflect an understanding of the importance
of global awareness—from living in a residence hall-based
language community to starting a radio program in another language
to minoring in a foreign language. These experiences, whether at
home or abroad, influence how our students perceive the world and
their place in it. We’re producing graduates prepared to
be world citizens—well informed, culturally sensitive and
technologically sophisticated. They’re ready to take on the
challenges of our global society, and they’ll be equally
at home whether in the Peach State or the Republic of Georgia. |
Operation
4-H: Joint Forces at the Falls” will bring together 120 of
Georgia’s military teenagers. It’s open to 13- through
15-year-old kids whose parent is now, will soon be or has recently
been deployed.
