New Hampshire Operation: Military Kids

“Working Together to Support Military Kids and their Families”

Visit the National OMK website

What is Operation: Military Kids (OMK)? When National Guard, Reserve, and other military families living in civilian communities become mobilized, their children experience the stress of being a military kid.  These children have unique needs for special support and services, even though they still “look the same” to their friends and community. The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension  4-H Youth Development program partners with all branches of the military, American Legion, Red Cross, schools, Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team, the spiritual community, community recreation centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other youth and family organizations to form the outreach effort called Operation: Military Kids (OMK). This program functions in all 50 states across the country, including NH.
Goals of OMK OMK collaborates with groups across the state to provide sustainable local support services to military youth before, during, and after their family members are deployed.  OMK creates networks of support for the military children and connects them with other military and non-military youth through a variety of recreational, social and educational programs. OMK works to raise community awareness and foster understanding about the impact of the deployment cycle on the military member, family, child and larger community. OMK organizations act as resources for military children/families for things like summer camps, after school programs, and more
OMK Program Components: Ready Set Go! Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) Hero Packs Mobile Technology Lab (MTL) Youth Focused Programs
For more information about these programs and ways to get involved, click on the brochure links below!

Operation Military Kids (OMK) Program:

• NH Military Youth Demographics - August 2009
• OMK Program Brochure
• OMK Babysitter Instructor Course Brochure
• OMK Babysitting Brochure - Teens
• OMK Facts and Volunteer Opportunities
• OMK Hero Packs Brochure
• OMK Hero Pack Guidelines  
• OMK Hero Pack Appreciation Letters
• OMK Mobile Technology Lab (MTL) Brochure
• OMK Mobile Technology Lab Request Form

Support Resources:

• An Educators Guide to Deployment
• APA: Resilliance in a Time of War:
  • Elementary school age
  • Middle school age
  • Teens
    
• How Communities Can Support
  
• How to Prepare Children and Stay Involved
• The Emotional Cycle of Deployment: A Military Perspective
• The Emotional Cycle of Deployment: For Counselors

For more information:

• Community Support
• Family Resources
• News
• NH Activities
• Summer Camp for Military Youth
• Youth Involvement

Contact Information:

For more information about NH Operation: Military Kids, contact Charlotte Cross, UNH Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development

G05C Pettee Hall
55 College Road
Durham , NH 03824-3599
Phone: 862-2495
E-mail: Charlotte.Cross@unh.edu

For more information about NH National Guard Family Services, contact:

Ana McKenna
State Family Program Director
1 Minuteman Way
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 225-1215
E-mail: Ana.mckenna@us.army.mil

Operation: Military Kids is a partnership of Army Child and Youth Services, USDA National 4-H Headquarters, and The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development Operation: Military Kids New Hampshire is funded by the USDA Army and Kansas State University 4-H Youth Development Project #2007-48661-03868.