Operation: Military Kids

"4-H Serving Military Families In Our Own Back Yard"
"More than 500,000 children have at least one parent serving in the National Guard or Reserves"                              "As of 30 September 2003 more than 250,000 military members were serving in foriegn countries and another 180,000 were participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom in/around Iraq"                              Since 11 September 2001, 320,000 (or 36%) Reservists have been mobilized for the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT)"                              Early in 2004, about 105,000 troops (40% of whom are Guard and Reserve members) will deply to Iraq, and many will e there for a full year.  This troop commitment will likely continue beyond 2004"                              "In the two decades since the military became an all-volunteer force, the number of military family members has outnumbered services members 60 percent to 40 percent - a ratio that persists today"                              "80% of military members are younger than 35"                              "46% of all military service members have children; 40% are married with children"                              "6% of all military families are headed by single parents"                              "The average age of military memebrs when they have their first child is under 25"                              "39% of all children in military families are younger than 6 years"                              "56% of members stationed in the continental U.S. live off base; 37% of those stationed outside the continental U.S. live off base"                              "The Army National Guard (ARNG) has about 350,000 Soldiers located in over 2,700 communities across the United States"                              "The US Army Reserve has over 1,000,000 members ready to serve when they are called upon"                              "58% of active duty military members are married and/or have children (i.e. families)"                              "86,700 active duty members are single parents"                              "There are 47,904 active duty dual military couples (both husband in wife in military)"                            "There are 1.17 million children (0-18) of active duty military members"                              "41% of the 1.17 million children are under age 5"                              "73% of active duty military couples/families live off base in the civilian community"                              "Out of the 880,000 members in the U.S. Reserve, 30% of them are 25 or younger"                              "59% of Reserve members are married and/or have children (i.e., families)"                              "There are 69,800 single parents in the U.S. Reserve"                              "There are 21,303 dual military couples in the U.S. Reserve"                              "There are 713,800 children (0-18) in the U.S. Reserve families"                              "24% of children in the U.S. Reserve are under the age 5"                              "National Guard & Reserves Members (and families) are dispersed in more than 4000 communities spread across the USA"                             

Who We Are

Florida 4-H: Operation Military Kids (OMK) mobilizes 4-H members, volunteers and staff within the state to provide community support and educational programs to benefit youth and families of Army National Guard, Army Reserve and Accessions, as well as all other military branches. 

State and County Cooperative Extension staff, community agencies , schools, and 4-H Club youth are reaching out to military youth...Before, During and After their parents are deployed.

Participating Counties

*  Pinellas County (click here)
*  Hillsborough County (click here)
*  Bay County (click here)
*  Duval County (click here)
*  Escambia County (click here)
*  Alachua County (click here)
*  Santa Rosa County (click here)

What We Do

*  Create community support networks for military youth "in our own backyard" 
when Soldier parents are deployed
*  Deliver recreational, social and educational programs for military 
youth living in civilian communities
*  Support military kids coping with the stress of knowing their 
deployed parents may be in harm's way
*  Collaborate with schools to ensure that staff are attuned to 
the unique needs of military students
*  Educate the public on the impact of the deployment cycle on Soldiers, 
families, kids and the community as a whole
*  Invite military kids to be a part of the ongoing 4-H Program in the 
locations where there are military families
 

Understanding the Military

How To Get Involved

Resources




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This page was last updated: 07/01/2004
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