Deadlines near for Air Force teen camps Published March 10, 2011 By Linda Welz 452 AMW Public Affairs 03/11/2011 -- Applications for Space Camp, Teen Aviation Camp, Air Force Teen Leadership Camp, as well as three Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard Teen Leadership Summits are being accepted through the end of this month. Applicants are eligible for the camps if they are a dependent of active duty military assigned to or living on an Air Force or joint base installation, a dependent of an Air Force retiree, Air Force civilian employee, Air National Guardsman or Air Force reservist. Lodging and meal costs, as well as activity fees are centrally funded for these three camps, but airfare and personal vehicle travel costs are the responsibility of the attendee's family. Charles Macleod, son of Charles and retired Air Force Reserve Capt. Linda Macleod of Redlands, Calif., was selected to attend last year's Air Force Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. "We worked hard all day, but it was the most disciplined and challenging type of work I could ever imagine," wrote the 9th-grader in a commentary for The Beacon. "I learned a lot about myself at Space Camp." This year's Space Camp will be held in Huntsville, Ala., July 11-29. Applications must be received by March 28, 2011. Participants of this camp will experience Space Shuttle mission simulations, tours of the center and the chance to witness the everyday challenges faced by astronauts. "My folks say the military brings people together from different backgrounds and that you bond really quickly," Macleod said. "That's how Space Camp was. We were there only a week, but we all got so close and we counted on each other to get us through our missions and lessons." Teen Aviation Camp, scheduled for June 4-9, 2011, at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., is designed to give attendees an experience that will help them determine if aviation or the Air Force Academy is a career choice for them. Dependents must be entering their sophomore or junior year in high school in the fall of 2011. All applications must be received by March 21, 2011 and can be found at www.spacecamp.com. The Air Force Services Teen Leadership Camp held at the University of Texas, San Antonio, July 11-15, 2011. This camp is a 5-day residential program which allows students to experience university life while developing their leadership skills. Dependents must have completed their freshman year of high school by the fall of 2011. Applications must be received by March 28, 2011. Applications and details about the three Air Force camps can be found at www.afyouthprograms.com Three other options for students this summer are the Air Force Reserve/Air National Guard Teen Leadership Summits, which are open to 14- to18-year-old dependent teens of current Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard members. Classic, Capitol and Adventure Teen Leadership Summits include lodging, some meals, activity fees, and airfare. The Classic Teen Leadership Summit, scheduled for June 19-24, 2011, at the Wahsega 4-H Center in Dahlonega, Ga., is designed to build leadership skills and team-building through high adventure activities and leadership classes. They also participate in a zip line tour, white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, archery, and survival classes. First-time attendees will be given priority. Phillip Hackett, son of Fourth Air Force's Senior Master Sgt. Marilyn Hackett, attended the Georgia Camp last year with 124 other teens. He wrote about the camp in a commentary for The Beacon last year, focusing on some of the high adventure activities he participated in, like whitewater rafting. "The leadership and teamwork skills we learned from our training sessions were definitely put to use as we navigated the rapids," he said. "The rafting, like all the activities we enjoyed during the camp, was designed to test our boundaries and push limits." The Capitol Teen Leadership Summit will be held July 24-29, 2011, in Washington, D. C., and is for returning applicants only. This camp focuses on citizenship, character building and high adventure. The Adventure Teen Leadership Summit, August 9-14, 2011, at Cheley Colorado Camps in Estes Park, Colo., will feature adventure activities including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, horse colt training, arts and crafts, woodworking, technical climbing and archery. Leadership classes will be included, as well as campfires, songs, musical performances, and classes for environmental education, military traditions and community service projects. Applications for the three AFR/ANG Leadership Summits have a deadline of April 8, 2011, and are located at www.georgia4h.org/AFRANGTeenSummit. For more information on any of these camps or summits, contact Ms. Brandi Mullins at 478-327-2090 or e-mail her at brandi.mullins.ctr@us.af.mil.