When you hear "Operation Purple camp" you should think: Kids Serve Too! The National Military Family Association's Operation Purple camps are a time for having fun, making friends, and reminding military kids that they are the Nation's youngest heroes.

The Operation Purple program was created in 2004 in response to the call from military parents to "help us help our kids." The mission of the Operation Purple program is to empower military children and their families to develop and maintain healthy and connected relationships, in spite of the current military environment. We do this through a variety of means, including the healing and holistic aspect of the natural world. The program is joint or "purple"— and open to children and families of active duty, National Guard or Reserve service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service and NOAA.

In the 2004 Operation Purple pilot season, the National Military Family Association started with 12 camp locations serving close to 1,000 children. Since then the Operation Purple program has grown to serve approximately 45,000 military children and teens. The Operation Purple program also includes family retreats at national parks and specialized family camps geared to address the needs of children and families of our nation’s wounded service members.