Iowa Army National Guard Child and Youth Program leads, Cameron Campbell (left) and Chris Cox (right), engage with military youth at the Des Moines YMCA camp. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member climbs the rock wall at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member climbs the rock wall at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member prepares to climb the rock wall at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member prepares to climb the rock wall at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member climbs the rock wall at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member plays gaga ball at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

Iowa Army National Guard Child and Youth Program leads, Chris Cox (left) and Cameron Campbell (right), engage with military youth at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 attended this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

A child of an Iowa Army National Guard service member bounces a ball in the gaga ball pit at the Des Moines YMCA camp with the Child and Youth Program. The annual camp is designed to bring military youth together and build connections at a young age. Eighty-five military children from ages 9-17 were in attendance this year - the most the camp has ever seen. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Rachel I. White)

BOONE, Iowa – Playing Call of Duty while mom or dad (or sometimes both) are being called to duty is just one thing a military child can resonate with. Children of Iowa National Guard service members are given the chance to connect with others through their experiences at the annual Child and Youth Program summer camp.

“It helps knowing that everyone is going through the same stuff,” said Annica O’Brien, a child attending the CYP camp for a second year. “Most of us have family that [have] been deployed and have had to go away for a long time.”

The camp is routine for the program leads, Chris Cox and Cameron Campbell, but this year they were taken aback by a record number of military youth in attendance July 23-29, 2023, at the Des Moines YMCA Camp.

Eighty-five military children ranging from 9-17 years old bonded through activities like climbing the rock wall, swimming and horseback riding. Between stations, there where counselors who encouraged the kids to get to know their cabin-mates.

“The power of camp is just building those friendships,” Campbell, the CYP coordinator, said. “It doesn’t take long.”

The CYP works with military families in Iowa to connect them and ultimately build resiliency from a young age. Cox, the program director, said their main purpose is to provide support for service members’ dependents. In addition to the summer camp, the program hosts military family events throughout the year all over the state of Iowa and makes significant contributions to yellow ribbon events that prepare military families for deployment.

“Families that have this network of a community that they can be a part of are going to be a lot more resilient,” said Cox.

Resiliency isn’t just taught in a classroom on a drill weekend – kids at camp were taught by making paracord bracelets. Paracord was originally used in World War II for parachutes. The thousands of little white hairs in the cord, together, can hold up to 550 pounds, coining the name “550-cord”. Cox and Campbell explained that each of the kids are one string in a paracord and by sticking together, these military youth can bear the weight of the world.

Spending an entire week away from their parents and families pushes many kids out of their comfort zones. Often, the younger kids will show up to camp - cheeks red and tear-stained. By the time camp is over, their appearance is the same but for different reasons. They don’t want to leave behind the friends they made.

“The very last day is super emotional,” said Cox. “It’s probably one of the harder days.”

The summer camp continues to grow with more military children in attendance every year. The camp is worth hundreds of dollars but for military youth, it is dropped down to thirty-five dollars for an entire week of fun.

If you are interested in learning more about the CYP summer camp, visit iowacyp.com.