By Jim Wenzel, WTC Stratcom

The Labarca-Cruz Family attend the 2010 AW2 Symposium in San Antonio, TX.

April, Month of  the Military Child, is a time for the Army to recognize the character and maturity demonstrated by nearly two million military children as they experience their parents’ frequent displacement, long separation, and, at times, the visible and invisible wounds and scars of training, deployment, and conflict.

The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) recognizes that military kids of Warriors in Transition accept the shared efforts to provide care and strength to their parents. This demonstrates that these kids also share in serving the Army and the nation.

As AW2 identifies delegates for this summer’s AW2 Symposium, I want to stress the role AW2 kids play in the process—and it’s not just fun and games in Orlando. As parents lend their experienced voice in sorting through major issues affecting the Army’s care and transition of Warriors in Transition, their young children will have fun in daycare while older children will find adventure at a camp organized by Operation Purple®. The teenagers will also be given the opportunity to participate in an informal focus group that will allow them to discuss and select major issues important to military children of wounded warriors.

AW2 is about halfway through the process of identifying and selecting AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families to speak on behalf of Army wounded warriors. At Symposium, we anticipate the presence and active participation of our military children. We will give them opportunities for fun as well as allow their voice to be heard—we truly believe they serve too.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity for both you and your Family, please go to the AW2 Symposium homepage for more information or contact your Advocate.