As the U.S. military troops receive constant support by citizens at home, the needs of children with parents in the military are often overlooked.

Operation Military Kids is working to help these children adjust to living without their parents.

Operation Military Kids is a national organization that began in 2004.

The organization is offering 15 grants of $600 to community organizations that will work with several organizations already involved with the project, such as the ISU extension of the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program.

Chris Gleason, program coordinator of 4-H Youth Development programs, said Operation Military Kids is aimed at helping the children of parents serving in the military.

“Most army bases have a 4-H program to help them adjust, but OMK is a way for military kids with temporarily deployed parents talk with other kids in the same situation,” she said.

Gleason said OMK allows the public to see how 4-H can offer services to the public.

“It is a great opportunity to show what kinds of programs 4-H has to offer for families who feel they are under stress,” Gleason said.

Michael Cooley, junior in agricultural education and program assistant for the Iowa 4-H Operation Military Kids program, said this program is designed to help these children relieve the stress of having a parent in the service and also to help them express their feelings to others.

“Military kids are very geographically dispersed. There will be a lot of schools where they are the only family with a parent deployed,” Cooley said. “Even if they talk to their friends, they don’t have the same understanding. If we can get 50 kids together who are going through the same experiences, they can share their feelings and not feel so alone.”

Chuck Morris, associate professor of 4-H youth development programs, said OMK has many projects geared at giving support to military children, such as Speak Out for Military Kids and Hero Packs.

Speak Out for Military Kids is a project that gets teenage military children and nonmilitary children to get together and talk about issues facing military kids.

Hero Packs aim to benefit the younger children. They are knapsacks filled with items that are intended to provide children with fun activities and ways to stay connected with their deployed parents.

Gleason said OMK will continue to help military children as long as they have a need and the money is available.