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Thanks to our sponsors
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Please join the many foundations, corporations and thousands of individuals who are making a positive difference in the lives of our military children.
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“This is the only program I have found that directly affects middle school and high school age children.”
A grateful parent.
“I can’t thank you enough. The Our Military Kids grant felt like the first time my child was truly recognized for the sacrifices that she and the other military kids make for the freedom of their country.”
A grateful mom.
“The ease of application and quick turnaround time was incredible. I received notice of his acceptance within a week!”
An appreciative parent.
“My family is the most important thing in the world to me and knowing there is someone back home who is doing something to make their life a little better makes my life over here a little bit better.”
A Captain in Fallujah, Iraq
The fact that I was deployed created a void in the kids’ lives. Their grants helped fill that void in a controlled and positive way. It lessened the burden of not having Dad at home.”
A National Guardsman just returned from Afghanistan.
“I want to thank you for assisting me with the grant to allow my kids to participate in a summer camp program. I am so grateful for everything you have provided for me and my family. Thank you for your prompt services as well.”
A soldier mom serving in OIF.
“ I am a married Reservist with six kids and I just found out about your organization. I will be applying for a grant soon and would just like to thank you and say someone finally gets it.”
An Airman serving in OIF.
“While most Americans are nestled in the comfort of their everyday lives, it is refreshing to know you are helping us share the burden of a deployment. Thank you for attending to the soldiers’ most precious assets back home — our kids."
(This note was accompanied by the gift of an American flag flown over Al Asad Air Base, Iraq)
“It is wonderful to know there are groups out there willing to take care of my children and allow them to continue with their extracurricular activities, to enable them to continue as balanced routine as possible.”
A Colorado National Guardsman
Advisory Board
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Admiral Steve Abbot, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Steve Abbot is President and CEO of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Admiral Abbot previously was Deputy Director of the Office of Homeland Security. Immediately prior to assuming this position, he was the Executive Director of Vice President Cheney's National Preparedness Review. More
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Ambassador Donald K. Bandler
Ambassador Donald K. Bandler is currently a consultant in the Washington, DC area. Immediately prior to starting his consulting business, he was the Ambassador in Residence at the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California. Previously, Ambassador Bandler was a Senior Director with Kissinger McLarty Associates in the Washington D. C. office. More
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The Honorable Maureen P. Cragin
The Honorable Maureen P. Cragin joined Boeing in September 2002 and is currently the Vice President for Communications for Network & Space Systems of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Previously, she served as assistant secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. More
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Dr. John Goodman
Dr. John Goodman is managing director for the Management Consulting & Integrated Markets organization in the Public Service operating group at Accenture. Prior to joining Accenture in 1998, Dr. Goodman served for five years in the Federal Government his last position being that of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Industrial Affairs and Installations.
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Dr. Michael Haltzel
Dr. Michael Haltzel is the Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations of John's Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. For eleven years Dr. Haltzel was chief European foreign policy aide to Vice President (then-Senator) Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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LtCol Marlin L. "Buzz" Hefti, USMC (Ret.)
Mr. Buzz Hefti, currently a Vice President with Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc., served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs during the George W. Bush administration. In this capacity, he provided advice to both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Defense on all legislative matters.
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General George Joulwan, USA (Ret.)
General George Joulwan has continued to serve his country as an advisor to private industry, a consultant in both the public sector and on senior defense boards, and as a teacher and educator since his retirement from the Army. General Joulwan’s 36-year distinguished military career consisted of exemplary military service and foreign policy experience. More
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Mrs. Diane Jones
Over the past several decades, Diane Jones has made significant contributions to the US Armed Services, with particular emphasis on the US Marine Corps, and as an advocate for individuals with disabilities. Mrs. Jones is the wife of General Jim Jones the current National Security Advisor and former Commandant of the Marine Corps. More
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Gail Kruzel
Gail C. Kruzel is co-founder of Our Military Kids, Inc. and was a member of its staff until transitioning to serve on the Advisory Board in September 2009.
Ms. Kruzel’s career has included work in private industry and state and federal government. In private industry, she was responsible for the management, marketing and promotion of commercial real estate holdings. More
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CSM A. Frank Lever III, USA (Ret.)
Mr. Frank Lever presently serves as a Senior Consultant for American Business Development Group, Arlington, VA and also serves as the President of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS). Before retiring in November, 2005, Lever served his last five years in the Army National Guard as the Command Sergeant Major, Army National Guard. More -
The Honorable Jan M. Lodal
The Honorable Jan M. Lodal is chairman of Lodal and Company and of CoManage, Inc. Lodal has had many periods of service in the federal government with the most recent being that of Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Clinton Administration. Mr. Lodal has also served in the Johnson, Nixon, and Ford Administrations. More
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General Richard "Butch" Neal, USMC (Ret.)
General Richard (Butch) Neal serves as a senior fellow for the CAPSTONE Program at the National Defense University and is a Senior Mentor for the U.S. Marine Corps. General Neal’s distinguished 36 year military career was capped by his being selected as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1996. More
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Dr. Michael E. O'Hanlon
Dr. Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy, the use of military force, homeland security and American foreign policy. He is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Council on Foreign Relations. More
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Mrs. Lynne Pace
Lynne Pace has long been known for her love and dedication to the men and woman of the armed forces. As the wife of General Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lynne has been at her husband's side, serving as his teammate and advocate for military families working to improve the military community. More
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General Peter Pace, USMC (Ret.)
General Peter Pace has continued to serve his country as an advisor in both the public and private sector since his retirement from the US Marine Corps in October, 2007. General Pace’s 40- year distinguished military career culminated with the position of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine to be appointed to this highest-ranking military office. More
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The Honorable William J. Perry
The Honorable William J. Perry is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor at Stanford University, with a joint appointment in the School of Engineering, the Institute for International Studies and the Hoover Institution. Dr. Perry was the nineteenth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from February 1994 to January 1997. More
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Mrs. Alma Johnson Powell
Mrs. Alma Powell sits on the boards of several educational, cultural, charitable and civic organizations. She is the chairman of the board of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, whose mission is to mobilize people from every sector of American life to build the character and competence of youth. More
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General Joseph Ralston, USAF (Ret.)
General Joseph Ralston is currently Vice Chairman of The Cohen Group in Washington D.C. In 2003, General Ralston completed a distinguished 37-year Air Force career as Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. As NATO commander, General Ralston contributed to preserving the peace and security and territorial integrity of the NATO member nations. More
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Ronald A. Redmon, Jr.
Mr. Ronald A. Redmon, Jr. is currently Vice President for the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. region of First Citizens Bank, where he specializes in Not-For-Profit and Trade Association banking. Prior to joining First Citizens in October of 2008, Redmon held the position of Vice President for the Not-For-Profit Banking Division at TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank). More
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The Honorable Joe R. Reeder
The Honorable Joe R. Reeder, Managing Shareholder for the Mid-Atlantic region of the 1300-lawyer firm Greenberg Traurig, was formerly the Undersecretary of the Army and Chairman of the Board of the Panama Commission (1993-97). His legal areas of experience include complex commercial litigation, government contracts, public policy, defense and national security affairs, and legal ethics and professional liability. More
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Lieutenant General Thomas G. Rhame, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas G. Rhame, USA (Ret.) currently serves as Vice President for Finance and Administration at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). His distinguished Army career ended with his retirement in September, with his last assignment being director of the Defense Security Assistance Agency. More
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Ambassador Rozanne L. "Roz" Ridgway
Ambassador Rozanne "Roz" L. Ridgway is currently a member of the Board of Directors for 3M, The Boeing Company, Sara Lee Corporation, Emerson Electric Co. and the New Perspective Fund. She is also a Trustee for the Brookings Institution, the George C. Marshall Foundation, the National Geographic Society and Hamline University, her alma mater in St. Paul, Minnesota. More
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Major General Alan Rogers, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Al Rogers is President of A.V. Rogers & Associates, LLC. His previous positions include Executive Vice President of the Enterprise Management Services Operating Group, CACI International, Inc and Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Federal Defense Group at American Management Systems (AMS). More
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Lieutenant General Roger Schultz, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Roger Schultz currently serves as a Senior Vice President for Security and Intelligence Programs at Lockheed Martin. He retired in October 2005 with over 42 years of service in the Army and the Army National Guard. His last tour was that of Director of the Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau. More
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Ms. Nadia D. Short
Nadia D. Short is vice president of strategic planning and business development for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s strategic planning, business development, marketing and public relations, customer and corporate relations, as well as its philanthropy program. More
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General Lawrence A. Skantze, USAF (ret.)
General Lawrence A. Skantze has been an independent consultant to the Aerospace Industry since his retirement from the Air Force in 1987. His last position in his 41-year distinguished military career was that of Commander, Air Force Systems Command. Prior to that, General Skantze was Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force and Commander, U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Product Division. More
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The Honorable Walter B. Slocombe
The Honorable Walter B. Slocombe is an attorney in Caplin & Drysdale’s Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Slocombe’s time at the firm has been interrupted by two periods of service in the United States Department of Defense, most recently as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 1994 to 2001 and in 2003, as Senior Advisor for National Defense in the Coalition Provisional Authority for Iraq. More
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Mr. Ryan Vaart
Mr. Ryan Vaart is a policy advisor for the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington D.C. Mr. Vaart represents clients on issues including federal appropriations, defense, homeland security, military base enhancement, and space and technology before Congress and the executive branch. More
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Former Delegate Margaret Vanderhye
Delegate Margaret ’Margi’ Vanderhye is the elected representative for the 34th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. Previously, she was appointed by Governor Mark Warner and re-appointed by Governor Tim Kaine to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, working with local communities on regional transportation policies to reduce congestion and improve air quality. More
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Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Clyde Vaughn retired as the Director of the Army National Guard in July 2009 after nearly 40 years of service to the Guard and the U.S. Army. As Director of the Army National Guard – a force of over 350,000 Soldiers in the 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia – Vaughn guided the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies affecting the Guard. More
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John D. Winkler
John Winkler is a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation, a public, non-profit public policy research institute, which includes three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers conducting studies and analysis for the Department of Defense. He is based in its Washington, DC office. His research encompasses defense manpower and personnel policy, individual and family readiness, and Reserve Component issues. More -
The Honorable R. James Woolsey
The Honorable R. James Woolsey is Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger and Advisor to both Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). He is a Venture Partner with VantagePoint Venture Partners of San Bruno, California. More
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The Honorable Dov S.Zakheim
The Honorable Dov S. Zakheim is a vice president of Booz Allen Hamiliton where he is a leader in the firm’s global defense business, working with U.S. Combatant Commanders and allied and coalition ministries of defense worldwide. Prior to joining Booz Allen Hamilton, Dr. Zakheim served as the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer for DOD (2001 to 2004). More
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Kids’ Stories
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Jen was intent on having her son continue with his therapeutic horseback riding lessons while her husband was deployed to Iraq.
Margaret, a mother of eight children ages one through eleven years, home schools her children. She applied for a grant for the five older children to join the area YMCA. The grant allowed the children to participate on the swim team and pass the summer months engaged in energetic play.
When I first heard about having the chance to travel to an important band festival I didn’t imagine I could go because of how expensive it was. But because of your generosity, I get to have an experience to last a lifetime. I’ll always be grateful to you all for the work you’ve done to help give me this wonderful opportunity. —Christine
“Enrolling my four boys in martial arts provided a structure that we all needed during my husband Mark’s deployment,” says Nancy. “They have learned the importance of respect, loyalty, non-violent behavior, and the value of working out conflicts in different ways.” Knowing the boys were enjoying tae kwon do relieved Mark’s stress level while he was away in service.
Did You Know?
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Who can receive a grant?
School-age dependents (3 years through high school) of Reserve and National Guard military personnel deployed overseas may apply.
What documentation is required as proof of a parent’s deployment?
A copy of the military parent’s overseas deployment orders will verify that a child is eligible for the grant program.
Is the grant award dependent on family income?
Family income is not a consideration in determining the eligibility of a child’s grant request.
Are there restrictions on the types of activities eligible for grants?
Our Military Kids, Inc. covers many programs but there are restrictions. See a complete list in our “Activities Covered” section of this website.
Which tutoring services qualify?
Grants assist children in maintaining academic performance at grade level. We require a letter from the child’s teacher indicating the need for tutoring
What documentation is needed to support the amount of the grant?
A copy of a brochure, flyer, website page or letter from the organization providing the activity or service must accompany the application.
Who receives the grant check?
The organization indicated on the grant application will receive the check for the approved grant.
Does the grant have to be repaid?
The grant does not have to be paid back unless the child does not complete the activity.
Can a child receive multiple grants?
We can award 2 grants per child per 365 day deployment.
May more than one child from a family apply for a grant?
All eligible children in a family may apply for a grant.
How does Our Military Kids, Inc. determine which children receive grants?
We award grants to all qualified applicants as long as funds are available.
How are the grants funded?
Our Military Kids, Inc. is supported by contributions from corporations, charitable foundations and individuals.
Does Our Military Kids, Inc. qualify for donations through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?
Our Military Kids, Inc. meets the Campaign’s rigorous standards. Members of the Reserves or National Guard can select #12357 to contribute.
Does Our Military Kids provide grants for children of the severely injured?
Yes! Please see the Severely Injured Program Guidelines and Criteria page.
