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Operation Military Kids holds overnight camp

Mary Ann Van Osdell, Schexnayder, Kathleen

archery at OMK

Amber Edmisson, 10, got her first bull’s-eye during an archery lesson at a special overnight camp to help military families stay connected. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell. Click on photo for downloadable image.)

canoeing at OMK

Children were taught the correct way to paddle and told the importance of wearing a life jacket during canoeing lessons for children from military families attending a weekend camp at the LSU AgCenter’s Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center April 25-26 as part of an Operation Military Kids program. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell. Click on photo for downloadable image.)

News Release Distributed 05/11/09

POLLOCK, La. – Twenty children and their military families participated in an overnight camp at the LSU AgCenter’s Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center April 25-26 as part of an Operation Military Kids program.

This was one of a number of events around the state to help military families stay connected, said Kathleen Schexnayder, coordinator of the Louisiana Operation Military Kids program in the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development Department.

Operation Military Kids is a program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Defense. It started five years ago with the goal of educating the public about the unique stress facing children in military families – especially those who are not living on military installations.

The program is designed to create community support networks for military youth when their parents are deployed in the National Guard and Reserves, organizers said.

Louisiana is one of 49 states participating in the Operation Military Kids program.

Stephanie Hill, LSU AgCenter camp coordinator for the Operation Military Kids program, said the event was a way to help military personnel and their families meet and get to know others with similar experiences.

Hill said this was one of many camps conducted around the state for a variety of age groups, typically 5- to 18-year-olds.

Camp events included archery, canoeing, shooting sports, games, drama, hiking and a cooking class.

Mike Burns with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries taught the youth how to shoot a bow and arrow.

“I got my first bull’s-eye,” said Amber Edmisson, 10.

Gretchen Eichenaeur, 11, said she most enjoyed “Hitting the target!”

Her mother, Lida Eichenaeur of Pineville, is state family program director for the Louisiana National Guard and was deployed to Iraq last year.

Lida Eichenaeur said the program allows her children to “know other kids who have deployed parents because kids at school don’t understand that.”

Eichenaeur was at the camp with three daughters.

Kaitlyn Wheeler, 11, of Pineville has attended a camp before. “I meet new friends and see some I already know,” she said.

For additional information on the LSU AgCenter’s Operation Military Kids program, contact Schexnayder at (225) 578-2196.

Mary Ann Van Osdell

5/11/2009 9:25:52 PM
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