By Sgt. Madalyn McQuillan, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
NORWOOD, La. –The Louisiana National Guard’s Child and Youth Program hosted its annual military kids’ Youth Leadership Camp and Camp Pelican Pride event at the Feliciana Retreat and Conference Center in Norwood, Louisiana, June 23 – June 30.
Children of Louisiana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen ranging in age from 8-13 were divided into age-specific platoons to enjoy the variety of organized events the camp had to offer. Each platoon was assigned adult leaders and multiple Junior Support Staff, who were hand-selected after their Youth Leadership Camp to help organize the youth and support camp activities.
This year the camp supported over 100 campers and JSS for Camp Pelican Pride and had the opportunity to participate in fun activities like rock-wall climbing, zip-lining, fishing, archery and swimming. Campers also learned skills and information like marching, fire-safety training, resilience training and disaster-preparedness training.
The annual camps had seven different community partners who helped make a fun and lasting impression on the campers.
While the camp relies on veterans most often, there were new volunteers this year. Master Sgt. Nicole Sweet was a first-time volunteer.
“One of the highlights of volunteering was definitely seeing the JSS and the kids come out of their shells, seeing them learn and ask questions,” she said. “This camp is important because of its affordability and the opportunity for kids who have military parents to come together and bond. They started a conversation in third platoon talking about their parents and relating to one another.”
Sweet, like most of the other adult volunteers, had a child attending camp. CPP was enthusiastic to report that all other adult staff who were not current service members were previous campers who had grown up attending camp, became JSS, and are now volunteering their time as adults to a camp that made a lasting impression in their lives.
A JSS veteran, Brianna Fogelman, was excited to work one more camp.
“One of the best parts is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces knowing I was once that camper, making them happy and making the camp feel like a second home,” she said.
Brianna, whose father is a sergeant major in the Louisiana National Guard and has served for over 20 years, spoke about what she enjoys the most as a JSS counselor.
“I love getting in a circle with the girls and talking about our day,” she added. “We also talk about some things we can’t talk about around our parents or the boys. To have a space to do that is important for the girls.”
Both camps focus on teaching the youth the importance of communication, support and building community. One way that the camp reinforces these ideals is by recognizing one camper and one JSS from each platoon every morning as their “camper of the day.”
The annual LANG military kid’s camp, often called Kid’s AT, has been in operation for 28 years and provides an opportunity for the children of service members, both deployed and stateside, to connect with one another over their shared life experiences.
