Photo By Staff Sgt. Sarah Myrick | Camp counselors lead an activity at the Maine National Guard Youth Camp in Gilead,...... read more read more
GILEAD, Maine - Maine military families form lasting relationships at the 16th Annual Maine National Guard Youth Camp that takes place every summer in Gilead, Maine.
The one-week, residential camp is designed to bring military youth together. It offers an active, healthy environment for Maine military children ages 9-15 to establish confidence, character, and friendships with other military youth.
Since the camp first opened in 2000, the children’s attendance has increased to four times as many as when it started, and it’s apparent the success is due to the fact that it’s more than just a summer camp.
For some, the impact of attending as a child was so great they still want to be a part of the camp family. This year about 20 staff members, who were once campers came back as volunteers.
“Volunteers make this camp possible,” said Master Sgt. Barbara Claudel, the state family program director. “They come back to support it, without pay, because they believe in it.”
Camp counselor Joshua Hudson, an air crew flight equipment specialist in the Maine Air National Guard, has been involved with the camp for 12 years. He developed a lot of positive relationships that helped him get through difficult times and wanted to pass it on to the next generation.
“The camp was a real outlet for me when my dad was gone on deployment and when he passed away,” said Hudson.
Children of military families face a lot of unique challenges. Hudson said he worried about his father being in danger when he was on deployment and his school work suffered.
“When I’d see kids at the camp who were in the same situation as me, it made me feel like I wasn’t alone,” said Hudson.
Justin Curtis, another camper-turned-counselor, is now a member of the 488th Military Police Company in the Maine Army National Guard.
“I loved being a camper,” said Curtis. “I look forward to it every year, and I want to make sure the kids share the same experiences that I did.”
Curtis has been active with the camp since 2001 when he started as a kiddie camper, staff’s children who are under the age of 9. He said his favorite activity as a camper was the rappel tower, which he first attempted at the age of five. Other activities include archery, kayaking, a confidence course, team building activities, arts and crafts, hiking, swimming, and campfires with skits and songs.
Curtis said as a young child he didn’t understand why his father, who has been a member of the Air National Guard for 27 years would have to go away for long periods of time, but the camp really helped.
“This program holds events throughout the year that help kids whose parents are on deployment,” said Curtis. “It’s programs like this that really help kids get through those times because it takes their minds off it.”
For Hudson, staying in touch with friends he made from camp helped him get through the challenges of being in a military family. Even though many of those friends were far from his hometown, they were always willing to talk or grab a pizza, he said. Just having contact with someone who knows what you’re going through helps.
“We want kids to know that we are all in this together,” said Claudel. “When the children see their friends from camp their faces light up and you can see the difference in them immediately. We have a true military family, our camp family.”
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2015 14:15 |
| Story ID: | 176227 |
| Location: | GILEAD, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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