More than 100 children of military families from around the Pacific Northwest attended “Operation Purple,” a free summer
camp at Island Lake Camp in Silverdale, Aug. 17-23.
The program, run and funded by the National Military Family Association (NMFA), aims to help military children experience
carefree fun while also learning coping skills to deal with war-related stress and fostering relationships with others.
“It’s called Purple Camp because you see almost every military service represented here, children of the Marines, Army, Navy,
Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserves,” said Josh Boisvert, one of three camp directors and a McChord Air Force Base
outdoor recreation staff member. “The mission is how we can find a way to give these children a break. The family serves
as much as the service member and the NMFA decided that they needed a program like Operation Purple. This camp gives
military children and teens a break from stress, as well as giving them tools to survive.”
Activities during the week ranged from paintball, a high-rope course challenge, swimming, canoeing, as well as teambuilding
and communication skills exercises designed to foster solidarity among the campers.
“The children this year really took care of each other, even the ones who kept more to themselves, everybody would check on
them to make sure that they were okay,” said Faye Peebles, Operation Purple counselor. “The biggest change over the course
of the week is that they were all playing with each other right, they were all interacting together regardless of where they are
from, their age, or if they knew each other before this week.”
The campers were also given a family brief and a deployment brief that served to demystify the deployment experience for the
children.
“The deployment brief was probably the most important part of this camp,” said Chris Kasparek, Camp Director and Children
and Youth Program Administrator for Naval Base Kitsap Fleet and Family Support Center. “It’s one thing to ask your parents
about deployment and what goes on. This is a chance to be able to hear about it from somebody else and ask questions they
might be afraid to ask mom and dad.”
One camp counselor had specific experience to share with the children participating in Operation Purple.
“The best thing that I can say is that I’m here to serve these children while there parents are serving over there,” said Sergeant
First Class Andrew Turnbull, Camp Counselor and member of the Wounded Warrior Battalion at nearby Ft. Lewis. “I feel that if
the parents of these campers were in my boots, they would be here doing this and I would know that my children were in good hands.”