Military children can apply for free summer camps

WASHINGTON — With the temperature rising and the school year drawing to a close, parents across the nation are starting to think about summertime plans. With three young children and a stretch of lazy summer days ahead, it’s definitely a hot topic in my household.

Military families can get a head start on their planning today by applying for the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple Summer Camp program. The nonprofit organization launched this free program nine years ago to support military children, ages 7 to 17, dealing with the stress of war.

The weeklong camps are open to military children of all ranks and services, both active and Reserve. Officials will give priority to children who meet the association’s deployment criteria and have never attended an Operation Purple camp.

Families should submit their application by midnight EDT on April 19.
This summer, officials said, 1,400 children will attend an Operation Purple camp at one of 16 locations in 14 states: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.

For more information or to submit an online
application, visit the NMFA website at www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple/
2012-camps.

For more military family related posts, visit AFPS’ Family Matters Blog at http://afps.dodlive.mil.