‘The adventure continues’: Military families unite outdoors, recharge together
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2026) — At the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), the Extension Military Families Program provides military families in Kentucky and beyond a unique experience to strengthen connections and forge new friendships with other families through outdoor activities and adventure.
Families from all branches of the military gather for extended weekends to engage in recreational activities including rock-climbing, white-water rafting, canopy excursions, zip lining, mountain biking and more.
Part of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension, 4-H Youth Development and Extension Military Families Program, Military Teen Adventure Camps (MTAC) as well as Military Family camps offer valuable opportunities for military families “to make lasting memories, community and connections” according to Tyrone Atkinson, FCS military program coordinator, extension specialist and UK alum.
“This is all about family time, enjoying a weekend outdoors and without distractions,” Atkinson said. “We take care of all the details so these families can just enjoy the moments with each other and other military families. We want these families to connect, and stay connected, for a long time.”
This year, one of the MTAC events included rock-climbing via ferrata, an Italian term meaning “iron path,” supervised by the Southeast Mountain Guides at the Red River Gorge in Campton, Kentucky.
For James Brown, a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and his daughter Jayla, who are first-time MTAC participants, coming to the Red River Gorge provided a unique opportunity for “one-on-one” time, right before Father’s Day.
“We’re an outdoor family,” the Brown family said. “We wanted to come out and experience real fun. MTAC is perfect for doing something fun together and having that daddy-daughter time.”
From Toledo, Ohio, Angela Burke and her daughter Julia have participated in MTAC five times. For the Burke family, who were part of the Ohio Air National Guard for 22 years through Angela’s husband before he recently retired, investing in these experiences is all about breaking away, building friendships and creating memories.
“This is about stepping outside of your normal routine, getting off phones and getting to know other military families,” the Burke family said. “We don’t remember what we did last week, but we always remember what we did together every year at these camps — it’s something that you will remember forever. MTAC is fun, unique and an experience that more military families should know about.”
Sam Pier, an Air Force Individual Mobilization Augmentee, and his son Gideon, found out about MTAC through the Family Readiness Center at Hickam Air Force Base. For the Pier family, who have demanding schedules, coming to MTAC for the first time was all about taking the time to appreciate what the program offers.
“Everyone is busy, and schedules can fill up quick, but it’s all about intentionally setting that time aside to do something different,” the Pier family said. “Even though it’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable at first, we just trusted that it’s a great program and wanted to set that time aside to just do it. It was a blast.”
Operation: Family Recharge
New to the Extension Military Families Program event lineup this year was Operation: Family Recharge, sponsored by the Kentucky 4-H Foundation, at the JM Feltner 4-H Camp in London, Kentucky.
Military families and youth of all ages were invited to participate in low-impact, accessible camp activities including archery, fishing, hiking, canoeing, arts and crafts, ropes course, rock wall, board games and more.
Kimberly Schrader, extension specialist for 4-H Youth Development at Martin-Gatton CAFE, believes that Operation: Family Recharge offers something different for all families.
“Operation: Family Recharge provides families with a unique opportunity to learn and grow together,” Schrader said. “Through hands-on experiences and collaborative activities, parents and youth strengthened important life skills such as communication, resiliency, decision-making and problem-solving. The retreat was designed to help families build stronger relationships while developing the tools needed to successfully navigate challenges together.”
The adventure continues…
At MTAC programs, participating campers and families each get a t-shirt that says “The Adventure Continues” on the back.
Kerri Ashurst, senior FCS Extension specialist and Military Family Camping Program director at Martin-Gatton CAFE, said she wants such adventures to continue through additional funding and more year-round programming for military families in the future.
“Funding for military camps began from this incredible idea for service member parents and their families to come together for fun adventure,” Ashurst said. “Over the last 16 years, it has been truly magical to witness our Military Family Camping Program’s growing popularity and the number of families who have returned to experience our adventure camps and grow together. We see a big opportunity to expand our programs, hosting more camps throughout the year in more locations and reaching more military families.”
Visit MTAC or visit fcs.mgcafe.uky.edu/MTAC to learn more.
Military Teen Adventure Camps is a partnership funded by the Department of War, Military Community and Family Policy, Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, Children, Youth, and Families, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, through a grant with Auburn University.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 20234870341193. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The program reported in this article was made possible in part by a donation from the 4-H Foundation.
