Operation Purple provides military children with belonging, reassurance

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  While other children are enjoying their summer break in the local area, one selected Moody dependent will have the opportunity to attend a camp designed especially for military children.

Abigail Ellis, the 8-year-old daughter of Tech. Sgt. Joel Ellis, 23rd Maintenance Operations System quality assurance inspector, and Kristy Ellis, 38th Rescue Squadron unit program coordinator, will be a part of Operation Purple.

Thousands of military children just like Abigail have benefited from this program, which is a nationally-sponsored program that provides weeklong camps to children whose parents were recently or are currently deployed.

"Operation Purple is all about acknowledging that military children serve too and giving them the recognition they deserve," said Bailey Bernius, National Military Family Association public relations specialist. "The mission of this program is to help empower the children and help the families develop healthy relationships, in spite of the stressful environment.

"By providing this service, we are helping strengthen military family relationships and therefore our country's fighting force," she added. "These children also deal with stress while their parent is gone."

For Mrs. Ellis, part of maintaining those relationships is knowing her children are comfortable when Sergeant Ellis deploys.

"Even though she knows her father is in harm's way, Abigail tries to put on a brave front," said Mrs. Ellis. "However, it's just part of the process that she becomes more dependent on me because she misses him. I hope that from this camp, she can learn to be a more independent person."

Abigail said she knows that her father's career field in a deployed location can be dangerous, but she always hopes he stays safe.

"It's hard not being with him because I miss him every day and I know he has a hard job of keeping the bad guys away," she said. "Going to this camp will let me meet others whose mom or dad has been deployed and talk with them."

Along with providing counselors and activities that focus on dealing with having a deployed parent, the camp also provides normal summertime activities.

"Along with meeting the other children, I look forward to having fun and doing all the arts and music activities," Abigail said. "What I look forward to the most is bringing a picture of my dad and putting it on the 'Wall of Heroes' so I can share how my dad keeps us safe."

Anybody interested in finding out more about this type of program can contact their local Airman and Family Readiness Center. Moody members can call (229) 257-3333.