Today I read about Operation Purple
a free summer camp for kids of deployed troops. I think this is a great idea, because it recognizes children for the sacrifice that they too make when a parent is deployed.
Not sure where the Purple comes from, but it might be a reference to the organization being applied across all branches of service. (As in green is Army, blue is Air Force, but purple is everyone.) We have a concept in the medical corps that someday we may be "Purple Suiters", that is a group of doctors that serves all branches, not Army docs, Air Force docs, and Navy docs. Who knows, a whole lot of people will have to cooperate before that happens!
So does anyone out there have any experience with Operation Purple? I would love to hear about it! Post it here in the comments section.
Haven't been Jeeping much lately, but here's a pic of a great restored Army Jeep we saw at a recent festival.
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David M, thanks for letting me know about the Thunder Run link.
ReplyDeleteOP is run by the NMFA, in partnership with the Sierra Club (another good reason to join). The only cost for a family is $25.00.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is attending Camp Marston with 120 other kids who have a deployed parent.
Dear Kanani, Thank you so much for the sacrifice that your family is making to protect my family's freedom. I hope that your daughter is having a great time. Military families sometimes seem more resiliant, but I know from our own experience, that stress isn't fun: we just did what we had to to get through it. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteChris
Dear Chris,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just got back from a wonderful week. She is tanned, smiling and filled with camp secrets that only a 13 year old girl can keep. I've put a special thank you up over on my milspouse blog The Kitchen Dispatch. You'll see some pictures, as well as a big thank you to all the donors who made this week possible.
I can't underscore the importance of kids being able to speak to others who are going through the same experience. Many military kids (like us) don't live near a base. We're in communities where there are few, if any, active duty or reserve families. The result is a feeling of being separate from everyone else. So camp is a great place to touch base for those families who don't have an FRG.
The camp staff was put through additional training on top of what they already had. Today, when I picked her up, I was told that of all the groups, they liked this group of military kids the best. There is something special about military kids. I don't think they're more resilient, but they quickly learn to accept hardships because there is no choice. And for some of these kids, they've already seen more heartache in their young lives than most adults will ever comprehend.
In invite you to follow my blog, as I will follow yours! And please, send me an ARC of your book to review, as that's what I do for blogcritics and all the rest.
Dear Kanani,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that it was a great experience for your daughter. You haven't said it, but I am sure that your daughter also was able to help other kids by sharing her own experience.
You are right about military kids (and families) M and I were impressed that at orientation at the high shcool, there was a kid around every corner saying hi to our son. We have only been in town for two months, but he is in the band and has made friends fast.
At work, people keep asking, "When are you going to do your first operation?" and I respond "I've done ten." I think the industry standard is to show up and take a couple of months to get credentials and licences before operating. Perhaps it's the military mindset, but wanted to be functional from the start!
I would love to send you a review copy. Let me know how: ccoppola@pol.net.
Chris