Minneapolis, St. Paul -- It was a bright sunny July day as the 934th purple clad
C-130 flightdeck display made its way to Camp St. Croix
in Hudson, Wis., a camp for children of deployed military members.
Master Sgt. Eric Johnson and Tech. Sgt. David Dudash, 934th Maintenance Squadron along with Wendy Johnson, a civilian volunteer, assisted the Operation Purple camp participants in an event designed for fun and educational hands-on experience.
Hundreds of children ranging in ages from 5 to 16 got to sit in the pilot and copilot seats of the Air Force Reserve C-130E flightdeck, push buttons, flip switches and handle the realistic flight controls.
"The kids just had a blast with this thing, we were definitely
the highlight of the various displays," Sergeant Dudash said.
The purpose of the July 3 visit was to conduct a Military
Day "open house" for the children attending Camp Purple to
better understand the jobs of their military parents while deployed,
and to share feelings with other children of deployed
parents. The visit was further highlighted by a visit from the
Marine congressional liaison, Brigadier General Michael
Regner. "It's not too often that you get a hearty handshake
and a slap on the back all the way from the Pentagon," Sergeant
Johnson said.
The National Military Families Association implemented
12 different Operation Purple camps across the country in 2004. Due to the success of this camp program, NMFA expanded the program and has hosted more than 10,000 military children who have or will experience deployment.
In 2008, there will be 100 weeks of camp held in 62 locations in 37 states and territories.
These free, week-long, overnight camps are open to all military children. The program aims to help military kids experience carefree fun while also learning coping skills to deal with war-related stress and fostering relationships with others who know what they are going through.