EFMP camp a creative approach to student connections Published Aug. 5, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Young Air Commandos in the 27th Special Operations Wing’s Exceptional Family Member Program gathered July 27 to kick off a week of “Camp Cannon,” with activities specially designed to connect children in the program to each other and to the base. The camp marks an Air Force-level transition from an assignment and relocation-focused program to a wider reaching family support program, providing proactive aid to Airmen with family members who need specialized medical or educational care. With activities that ranged from a painting party to a Jeet Kun Do class to an alpaca farm tour, Camp Cannon mixed on-base experiences with the local flavor of Clovis and Portales. “For kids who might handle stress differently, camp can be a tough experience,” said Lori Dunn, 27th Special Operations Force Support Squadron school liaison officer. “One of our goals was to create a safe space for these kids to interact with each other and get a piece of the camp experience together.” In addition to providing shared experiences and opportunities to forge new friendships, Dunn hopes that the camp will provide a gateway to more EFMP events in the future and create a network of support between families, healthcare providers and dedicated support staff. “Cannon has two Military and Family Life Consultants who work in our local schools throughout the year,” said Dunn. “They were at the camp all week so kids and their families could get to know them.” Introductions to Cannon resources and helping agencies extended beyond the camp’s students to their families, who received a grab bag of EFMP literature on the first day of camp. “This was a great chance to highlight and build up Cannon’s support network, and to figure out the specific needs of some of our families,” Dunn said. For more information about the Exceptional Family Member Program, contact the Airman and Family Readiness center at 575-784-4228 or the clinic’s EFMP office at 575-784-0610.