Camp helps military kids cope

Friday, June 30, 2006 | 7:36 a.m.

Jessica Lopez overcame her biggest fear - that her father, Air Force Master Sgt. Jesse Lopez, would not come home alive from his third tour of duty in the Middle East - by talking to teachers and friends.

And what they talked about, Jessica says, was everything but the war in Iraq. It was one way she lessened the psychological and emotional burden of dealing with her dad's deployment.

On July 10, Jessica, 14, and her 17-year-old brother, Korey, will join 50 other Southern Nevadans also scheduled to be "deployed."

The Lopez kids - and about 2,500 other children of military personnel across the country - will attend what military officials call the only summer camp program that focuses on helping children deal with deployment-related issues.

The National Military Family Association, working in conjunction with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Nellis Air Force Base, will host Operation Purple Summer Camp, July 10-15, at Zion's Ponderosa Ranch in Utah. It is one of 26 such camps in 22 states, and this is the first year Las Vegas has received a grant to participate.

The program provides more than just the fun stuff - horseback riding, swimming and the toasting of marshmallows. Also included are military-themed activities and counseling to help kids who are having difficulties coping with parents away at war, said Carol Padilla, a local camp organizer.

The camps, sponsored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, are open not only to children of regular military services, but also kids of National Guard and Reserve members. (The "purple" in the camp name refers to a military term for a mix of all service branches.)

The program, founded in 2004, has helped youths deal with depression and fears that have led to problems in school and other social settings. Some children have told camp officials their grades have slipped because one or both parents are away at war.

Korey, a senior at Clark High, where he is a member of the Junior ROTC, says he used his father's absence for motivation to stay on the honor roll, "to make my dad proud."

Jesse Lopez, a medic and 22-year Air Force veteran, returned home from Iraq safely in February. He since has frequently been sent to Florida for training, and he will be deployed to Nicaragua in January.

The Lopez kids say they have coped better than some friends because their father and mother, Cyndy - a colonel's daughter and "Army brat" - have talked to them and helped quell their concerns about combat.

In addition to their family discussions, Jesse spent considerable time with the family in the days leading up to his deployment.

"When he was hanging out with us, he basically told us not to worry," said Korey, who is also considering a military career.

More than 115,000 American children have at least one parent who is deployed in the war, according to the Military Family Association.

The Lopez children say they hope to make new friends at the camp, and they want to help other children there better cope with unresolved issues of their folks being away at war.

Some are not as well-adjusted to the situation, Padilla found when trying to recruit for the camp. (The sign-up deadline was in March.)

"We had funding for 100 children," Padilla said, "but we found that some parents did not want their children exposed to matters about the war, even a summer camp that deals with helping them cope.

"They just do not talk about the war in their homes."

The Las Vegas campers will meet and stay at the Nevada Army National Guard's Edsall Armory on July 10. The next day, they will tour the facility, have a briefing, receive their "deployment orders" and leave for camp the following morning.

Cyndy Lopez, who has served as president of the Red Horse Squadron Support Group at Nellis, advises against parents sticking their heads in the sand when it comes to their kids' issues about the war.

"We hold monthly (squadron support group) meetings and address the issue of coping," Lopez said. A squadron officer briefs the spouses and children on what is going on in the war zone, and the relatives discuss what may be troubling them.