April is Month of the Military Child
Media contacts: Dr. Harriett Edwards, North Carolina 4-H military liaison, 919.515.9548 or harriett_edwards@ncsu.edu
J. Scott Enroughty, OMK-North Carolina project coordinator, 919.515.8500 or scott_enroughty@ncsu.edu
April is the Month of the Military Child, a time to recognize the sacrifices made by military families and their children. To support children whose parents are serving in the military, North Carolina 4-H is a partner in Operation: Military Kids.
Operation: Military Kids is a national effort to support children of deployed soldiers from all branches of the military including the Guard and Reserve. OMK is sponsored by Army Child, Youth and School Services, in collaboration with National 4-H Headquarters, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, American Legion, Military Child Education Coalition, National Child Care Aware Association and other state and local organizations to help military children meet others like themselves.
Children whose parents have been deployed live with uncertainty and concern for their parents on a daily basis. Many families learn to be flexible, but long deployments can be difficult for military children. In the 10 years since the war began in Iraq, many children have seen their parents leave more than once.
“Military children look the same to teachers, friends and the community after a parent deploys, but their lives have changed dramatically,” said Dr. Harriett C. Edwards, North Carolina Cooperative Extension State 4-H Military Liaison. “We want to help them connect with other youth in similar situations and to use the Operation: Military Kids initiative as a way to link up with other youth in the community.”
Activities for military kids are ongoing throughout the year and throughout North Carolina. The following April events across the state are offered for Month of the Military Child.
April 6 – N.C. State University and OMK-NC’s Military Appreciation Day Baseball game, N.C. State University’s Doak Field, Raleigh, 1-6 p.m. military equipment will be on display. Service members can get in free with an ID; spouses or family member with a service member can attend for $3. Those 17 and under are free. For more information, contact Scott Enroughty 919.515.8500 or scott_enroughty@ncsu.edu.
April 13 – Month of the Military Child Celebration Day, Special Operations & Airborne Museum, Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
April 20 – Month of the Military Child Expo, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
April 20 – Third Annual “Celebration of the Military Child,” Pinehurst Arboretum, Pinehurst, 12 noon – 3 p.m.
April 20 – University of North Carolina and OMK-NC’s Inaugural Military Appreciation Night Baseball, UNC’s Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, 6 – 11 p.m.
April 27 – Military Family Day Event, The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, Raleigh, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports and Poe Center for Health Education
April 30 – Operation: Military Kids North Carolina 6th Annual Visual Arts Contest, artwork due in state N.C. OMK office. Artwork in various media will be judged and displayed at various events across the state. For information on the contest, visit the N.C. OMK website — www.nc4h.org/military/.
For questions, contact Scott Enroughty 919.515.8500 or scott_enroughty@ncsu.edu.
The North Carolina National Guard Family Programs have created sample certificates that can be presented to military youth during Month of the Military Child celebrations. Sample certificates can be found at www.nc.ngb.army.mil/SS/FP/Pages/MOMC.aspx.
Operation: Military Kids North Carolina is funded by the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project (Award #2007-48661-03868), a partnership of Army Child, Youth and School Services and National 4-H Headquarters/USDA.
For more information about Operation: Military Kids in North Carolina see www.operationmilitarykids.org.
