McChord leads the way: Operation Purple Camp

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  More than 100 children of military parents participated in Operation Purple Camp Aug. 18-22 at Island Lake Camp in Central Kitsap on the Key Peninsula. Approximately 50 were children of McChord's hard-working military personnel. 

The camp served as a week-long home to teenagers who have a parent deployed, one who just returned home or one preparing to deploy. This is the third year McChord directed the free camp with support from Fort Lewis, Naval Base Kitsap, The Sierra Club and the local 4-H chapter. 

"OPC is about team building, communication and understanding," said Mr. Josh Boisvert, 62nd Force Support Squadron and Purple Camp's director. "We do this to provide a support network where these kids can find common ground with each other through their military link." 

McChord's energetic teenagers took advantage of the opportunity to get outside and have fun, playing games, swimming, boating, making arts and crafts and tackling a high-ropes course. They even had a chance to "deploy", spending a night out under the stars, eating Meals Ready to Eat and white water rafting. 

"At first I was pretty skeptical about coming here," said camper Molly Clavenna, 14, a McChord family member. "Now that I'm here I'm glad because everyone is in the same situation as me and it helps a lot to have other people your age who know what you are going through." 

Children's common deployment worries are that something will happen to their parent, that the parent won't come back as the same person who left, or that they themselves will change, said Kathleen Moakler of the National Military Family Association in Washington, D.C. who visited the camp one of the days. 

There are also challenges of new roles and responsibilities, and disappointment
when milestones can't be shared, she said. 

But that's something the OPC staff confronts head-on, Mr. Boisvert said. 

"Our goal is to give them the tools to deal with it, have fun and send them home with positive new experiences under their belt," he said. 

Kraig Looney, 15, is from Lake Stevens. "His stepfather deploys soon for his second Army Reserve tour in Iraq." He'll have to become the man of the house. He said he's "kinda, sorta, not really" looking forward to that. 

"Trying to organize the whole thing's going to be tough," Kraig said. "Of course you're stressed out and worried, but you have to work through it." 

This year, there will be 100 weeks of Operation Purple camps held in 62 locations across the nation. Operation Purple Camp began with 12 camps organized across the country to bring kids together from all the branches of the armed services.