McChord takes lead on Operation Purple Camp

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Operation Purple Camp Washington kicks off next week and McChord will play a pivotal role in hosting 140 military children at Island Lake Camp on the Olympic Peninsula. 

The camp is offered to children in every service entering seventh to 12th grade who had one parent deployed or orders to be deployed before September 2009. 

According to the National Military Family Association, which sponsors Operation Purple Camp, the goal of the free summer camps is to bring together children who are experiencing the stress that goes along with having a deployed parent. 

This year there will be 100 weeks of camp held in 62 locations in 37 states and territories, according to NMFA. 

In addition to having a wide range of outdoor activities available to them at this year's camp, children will also have the chance to bond with their peers that are going through the same kind of experiences in dealing with deployments, said Operation Purple Camp director Josh Boisvert, 62nd Force Support Squadron. 

Through planned activities such as spending a night out underneath the stars and eating a Meal Ready To Eat pack to sitting in on a dependent pre-deployment and military briefing, children will also get a better feel for what their parents are going through, both the member who is deployed and the one staying home, Mr. Boisvert said.
"It can help them better understand what taking on the role of the deployed parent around the house means," he said. 

Besides activities such as archery, arts and crafts and paintball, Mr. Boisvert said there are also plans to arrange some kind of military display for the children to see at the camp. 

McChord is also taking an active role in mentoring campers, as seven active duty Airmen are set to work the camp as counselors. Senior Airman Stephanie Mendez, 62nd Airlift Wing, worked as a summer camp counselor in high school and jumped at the opportunity to mentor children as part of Operation Purple Camp. 

A three-year Air Force veteran, Airman Mendez said she knows a little something about being separated from her family for an extended amount of time - she was stationed in Korea at her prior duty assignment. 

"We (Airmen counselors) can relate to them perhaps on a bit different level than some of their peers," she said. "I've always liked mentoring children. It's going to be fun." 

While camp organizers say there aren't plans to host a large forum for campers to talk about their parents deploying, there are opportunities after daily activities for them to talk about it if they want to, Mr. Boisvert said. 

Campers will also have support from two health care professionals that will stay at the camp all week long.