Hooah!

The men and women of the U.S. Military are used to hardship. They train for it. Long deployments to inhospitable climates in harm's way are the norm. Often overlooked are the hardships endured by their families and loved ones waiting back home. It's especially hard on the kids. That's where Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission comes in. I had the honor of photographing one of their Camp Desert Kids events at Fort Bragg this weekend. Here's a description of the program, borrowed from their website:

The Camp Desert Kids program works to help military children better understand the deployments that shape their lives through a fun and educational event. In addition to allowing children to share similar experiences as their deployed parent, it serves to help American children learn that Iraqi and Afghani children do the same things they do – just differently, and works to cultivate an appreciation of Middle Eastern heritage.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the volunteers from Families United, the volunteer soldiers, families, and kids. Here are a few images, the full gallery can be viewed HERE