Enid girls spend week attending Camp Tomahawk at Vance

  • Published
  • By Jessica Gibson
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  It was windy and hot on Monday morning when the small bus full of young girls pulled up to Hangar 195 for a brief tour of the flightline at Vance AFB. "What are we doing?" the girls called from the back of the bus as Mark O'Brian, the CSC Component Repair Branch manager, climbed on board. Laughing, he replied, "You'll see!"

The week of June 13-17, Vance hosted the second half of Camp Tomahawk, an annual summer camp for local kids ages 9-11 who otherwise may not be able to attend camp.

Camp Tomahawk aims to give kids a traditional camp experience and to build camaraderie through activities like tent camping, bonfires, and singing.

Last week, June 6-10, 16 boys camped out and enjoyed activities like swimming, putt-putt golfing, and trips to various attractions, including the Oklahoma City Zoo. This week, nine girls had the same opportunities for fun.

The flightline tour was first destination and the girls were clearly excited but a little unsure what to expect. "They're definitely not used to this," Mr. O'Brian said, gesturing at the airfield. It only took a few minutes for the girls to start asking questions, and soon they were watching the planes excitedly.

"They had more questions than the boys did!" Mr. O'Brian said. "I try being loud and exuberant. It gets them talking. And a lot of them won't ever forget this, so I like to make it fun."

Mr. O'Brian has volunteered with Camp Tomahawk in the past, but this was his first year to give the flightline tour. He will do it again in a heartbeat, he said. "These kids don't usually get anything like this, so I want to give them a fond memory," he added.

Lauren Roff, the camp director and 71st Force Support Squadron program coordinator, agreed. "I just want them to have fun, to have something good to remember," she said. This is Ms. Roff's first Camp Tomahawk, and so far, she's enjoying it.

She said that the boys' week went really well. "But the girls are more mellow," she added with a laugh.

The girls had no trouble listing the events they were looking forward to: Splash Zone, Frontier City and Sugar Rush, and activities like sleeping in a tent, cooking outside, and swimming. "I want to make more friends," said Sophie Newman.

"I'm excited about having fun," Ebonee Miller said. The girls around her agreed.

Vance and the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce have partnered for 37 years to host Camp Tomahawk.

Mr. O'Brian said many of the college-age students who have worked on the flightline for a summer first came to Vance for Camp Tomahawk. "A lot of them went to camp, and now they come back to work because they remember the camp and this tour," he said.

Volunteers from Vance helped with both weeks of Camp Tomahawk, and their contributions made each week a success. The team effort of Vance and the Enid community gave these kids an opportunity that they will remember for a long time.

Both Mr. O'Brian and Ms. Roff said, "We're just big kids ourselves," and the reason they helped with the camp was the kids.

"Each one has their own memories," Ms. Roff said. "And we want to make this memory a good one."