Abstract
The primary purpose of this project was to develop a recreational based military youth services program to support active duty military youth (ages 5-12), while one or both parents are deployed. During parental deployment youth are separated from their parent for three to eighteen months. There is a correlation between parental deployment and changes in adolescent behaviors such as acting out, poor academic performance, feelings of fear, worry, anxiety and loneliness which causes a need for support for military youth. This program highlighted activities, journaling, art, group discussions and team building games to help youth bond with their peers experiencing similar emotions as well as teach children to embrace and understand change, to improve communicating their emotions, and to relieve the feelings of stress that come with fear.