Where Military Kids Just Get to Be Kids

Every summer, the shores of Kenai Lake come alive with the sounds of laughter, splashing paddles, and the kind of cheering that can only happen when you’ve just conquered an obstacle course… in the rain. Welcome to Operation Purple Camp at Camp K, where military kids swap the weight of family responsibility for the weight of a marshmallow on a stick. This unique program of the National Military Family Association enhances the traditional camp experience with a curriculum that focuses on intentional skill-building and connection to other kids with similar military life experiences.

Here in Alaska, military life is woven into our communities, with one of the largest populations of active-duty service members in the country (per-capita). Families of service members often face financial hurdles, including food insecurity, increased household responsibilities and limited access to enrichment opportunities like summer camp. It’s no surprise that the unique challenges of a childhood shaped by a family member’s military service are felt every day. That’s where Operation Purple Camp comes in—offering a week of adventure, connection, and growth at no cost to families.

The Motto Says It All: “Military Kids Serve Too®”

Military kids shoulder big responsibilities—frequent moves, long deployments, and the uncertainty that comes with their parents’ service. Operation Purple Camp is designed just for them. It’s a place where the “new kid” isn’t alone in their experience, where friends understand what it’s like to miss a parent, and where every camper belongs from the moment they step off the bus.

One 2025 camper put it perfectly:

“I love Operation Purple Camp because I fit in. Kids have similar experiences. I think parents who were in the military were taught to think a bit differently which makes me different too. My favorite part of camp was the obstacle course set up by military volunteers. We had to carry big logs in the rain—it was so fun! I want to go to West Point like my mom, and I imagine she had to do that too.”

Adventure, Campfires & Camaraderie

This year, 89 campers rode the camp bus into the best of summer: kayaking across Kenai Lake, hiking to the mountain top, playing endless games of gaga ball, and singing around the campfire under Alaska’s endless summer sky.

And then there was the day the Air Force came to camp—not to fly jets, but to thank campers for their contributions to their military families and to the greater military community with an afternoon of fun… in this case, with a homemade obstacle course! In the rain, campers sledded on mattresses, crawled through the grass, and cheered each other on. By the end, everyone was dirty, exhausted, and grinning from ear to ear.

More Than Fun—Skills for Life

Operation Purple Camp isn’t just about roasting marshmallows and doing the polar plunge in the lake. It’s a week for kids to just be kids, while being supported through the stress they may feel in a military family. Kids learn better communication skills, think about how they can be helpers in their community, connect with nature, discover more about who they are and what makes them light up, and connect with other kids who are going through the same things.

By the end of the week, campers head home with new friends, new skills, and a renewed sense of confidence—ready to face whatever comes next with resilience and courage.

Thanks to the following generous donors & partners, we are able to partner with the National Military Family Association and its donors to offer Operation Purple Camp to families at no cost. Our own supporters make this incredible gift possible, including:

 

AmVets Post 2 Ladies Auxiliary
Atwood Foundation
ConocoPhillips Alaska
John C. Hughes Foundation
Rasmuson Foundation
VFW Auxiliary 3629
Wheatberry Construction
Many generous Individuals

 

At Operation Purple Camp, military kids are more than just resilient—they’re unstoppable. And for one week each summer, they get to press pause on the challenges of service life and simply be kids.

So here’s to the 2025 campers-kids who serve too, the adventures they had and the memories they made.