Photos by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn/40th PAD Six-years-old Aaron Franks, son of Maj. Barry Franks of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, sports Afghan apparel at the Families United’s Camp Desert Kids event on Pope Air Force Base, N.C., June 17. Camp Desert Kids is an event that introduces children to Afghan culture through hands on experiences, said Brynn Vollmer, Families United’s Fort Bragg Community Affairs manager.

When a Soldier deploys, stress, uncertainty, discomfort and danger abound. While back stateside, their Family members are left to deal with many of the same problems.
Although adults and teenagers may have a better grasp of the harsh realities of deployment, younger children experience the stress, uncertainty and discomfort of deployment like everyone else.
While parents and older children can understand why ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy’ left, younger children may not know and knowledge can be half the battle.

That is where Families United’s Camp Desert Kids comes in, according to Brynn Vollmer, Families United’s Fort Bragg community affairs manager. Camp Desert Kids aims to help children better understand deployments that shape their lives, she said.
Children and their parents checked out many stations at the Camp Desert Kids event at the Pope Neighborhood Center on Pope Air Force Base, N.C., June 17. Stations included a ‘Troop Readiness Center,’ ‘Headquarters,’ ‘Afghanistan,’ ‘Mess Hall’ and ‘Out Processing.’

“I think it (Camp Desert Kids) is good for the kids,” Volmer said. “It puts it (deployments) on a level where kids can understand. They get to see and experience what their Mom or Dad does while deployed.”

The event started with the ‘Troop Readiness Center,’ where children dressed in military fatigues and had their photo taken for their ‘passport.’

Next was a trip to the ‘Headquarters.’ Once there, children colored and wrote post cards for their deployed parents.

Then came “most kids favorite station,” Vollmer said. The Afghanistan room was decorated to resemble a small outpost complete with an Afghan role player, she said.

Some children explored tents with cots and combat fatigues inside, while others sampled chai tea and naan (an Afghan flatbread).

But most were attracted to the ‘Afghan’ and the various clothes he displayed.

Six-year-old Aaron Franks, son of Maj. Barry Franks of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, tried on many articles of Afghan clothing, but wasn’t too fond of them.

“They were silly and scratchy,” he said. “They’re for an old man.”

Franks’ mother, Alicia Franks laughed at her son’s statement, but really appreciated Camp Desert Kids.

“It was good for my kids,” she said. “They were apprehensive at first, but they really warmed up to it. It’s good for them to see what Daddy is doing. It opens their eyes.”

That is precisely why Nancy Soto, wife of Maj. Cesar Soto who is deployed with the Office of the Program Manager Saudi Arabian National Guard, brought her kids to the event.

“It’s good for them,” she said as her two children visited the ‘Headquarters’ station. “It makes them aware of the culture and I think it helps them cope.”

Cultural awareness aside, Vollmer believes Camp Desert Kids helps children by letting them interact with other children experiencing similar situations.

“Deployments are challenging,” Vollmer said. “Adults have a support network, but kids have a harder time expressing their worries. Camp Desert Kids provides kids a chance to see other kids experiencing the same things.”

As children entered the last station—the ‘Mess Hall’—to grab a slice of pizza, Vollmer summed up what Camp Desert Kids means to her.

“The kids really get a lot out of it,” she said. “But so do I. Seeing the kids reaction throughout the camp is great and having a four year old say, ‘thank you,’ as they leave makes all the work worth it. I think we have a positive impact on the Families.”

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