It’s not a game:

Deployment: It’s not a game was designed by the Iowa Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) team to create awareness about what it is like for military kids during the deployment cycle. Six team members were military kids who had experienced deployment and two of those had fathers deployed when the SOMK team created the game. The game highlights the rollercoaster of emotion and family life for military kids as game players roll the dice and move from mobilization to homecoming. “Good” cards and “bad” cards are based on actual events in the lives of the military kids who are part of the SOMK team. Working with the team to create the board game and tell their “story” were professional storyteller Maureen Korte and graphic artist Ray “Bubba” Sorenson who paints the Freedom Rock http://thefreedomrock.com.

Game designersSpeak Out for Military Kids teamAmanda HalieBrooke KristenCrystal Nicole Danielle RachelEmily SamanthaErin Sarah

Adult supportLa Krisha AllenChris Cook-Leitz Marla ClaussenChris GleasonMaureen KorteVictoria SchmidtRay “Bubba” Sorenson

Production of Deployment: It’s not a game was made possible by a donation from The American Legion Riders Post #731. Thanks, Riders!

It’s n

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e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

You

r loved o

ne tran

spo

rts clean

water an

d fo

od

fo

r civilians w

here h

e is statio

ned

. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

r dep

loyed

loved

on

e help

s to b

uild

scho

ols

for ch

ildren

wh

ere she

is station

ed.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

You

taug

ht yo

urself

ho

w to

chan

ge th

e oil

in yo

ur car.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

You

taug

ht yo

ur yo

un

ger

bro

ther to

play teeb

all. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

grad

uate fro

m

hig

h sch

oo

l/mid

dle sch

oo

l/p

rescho

ol.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

You

r dep

loyed

loved o

ne

befrien

ds a yo

un

g ch

ild

wh

ere she is statio

ned

. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

r loved o

ne receives

the care p

ackage yo

u sen

t. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

r at ho

me loved

on

e g

ets a ho

liday b

on

us.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

So

meo

ne in

you

r co

mm

un

ity perfo

rms a

rand

om

act of kin

dn

ess fo

r you

and

you

r family.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

You

get an

imp

ortan

t solo

at a co

ncert.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

You

r loved o

ne’s co

mp

any d

iscovers a secret P

OW

(Prison

er Of W

ar) cam

p an

d saves so

me

U.S

. sold

iers. R

oll again

.

You

r dep

loyed

loved o

ne

receives a pro

mo

tion

. G

o fo

rward

4 spaces.

You

r loved o

ne sen

ds g

ifts h

om

e for th

e family.

Move fo

rward

3 spaces.

You

taug

ht yo

ur

you

ng

er siblin

gs h

ow

to

tie their sh

oes.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

You

get an

A in

a really h

ard class.

Move fo

rward

1 space.

You

r loved o

ne sen

ds

ho

me a vid

eo o

f him

readin

g a sto

rybo

ok fo

r h

is you

ng

er child

ren.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

You

r dep

loyed

loved o

ne

help

s to p

ut u

p telep

ho

ne

and

com

mu

nicatio

n lin

es. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

Aid

is taken in

to th

e area w

here yo

ur loved

on

e is statio

ned

and

he h

elps

to d

istribu

te it. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

r loved o

ne sen

ds g

ifts h

om

e for th

e family.

Move fo

rward

3 spaces.

You

r dep

loyed

loved o

ne’s

com

pany co

mp

letes a m

ission

with

ou

t any KIA

’s (K

illed In

Actio

n).

Move fo

rward

3 spaces.

You

get th

rou

gh

a sig

nifi

cant even

t with

ou

t cryin

g o

r breakin

g d

ow

n.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

OM

K h

old

s a day

of p

rog

ramm

ing

for

military kid

s. M

ove forw

ard 2 sp

aces.

You

r loved o

ne g

ets to

com

e ho

me fo

r Ch

ristmas.

Move fo

rward

5 spaces.

You

mad

e a varsity spo

rt. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.Yo

u an

d yo

ur fam

ily receive p

ositive su

pp

ort

from

the co

mm

un

ity. M

ove forw

ard 3 sp

aces.

Deployment: It’s not a gameIntroductionThe Speak Out for Military Kids team wants people to realize what Military Families, especially military kids, go through. This game helps show what those families must endure as a loved one is deployed. There are many trials and emotions involved. Military Families must be very strong as you will see as you play this game. Step up to the challenge and live the life of a military child.

Set-up1. Remove gameboard and cards from booklet.

2. Cut up page of game cards.

3. Cut out the 6 individual game pieces.

4. Stand pieces up in small binder clips as shown.

Directions1. Pick your game piece.

2. Roll the die, highest number goes first.

3. First person rolls the die. • Move the number of spaces according to the die.

4. Follow the directions for the space you land on. • If you land on a star space, draw a card. • If you land on a space with directions, follow the directions. • If you land on a space with a slide, move down.

5. Remaining players, follow steps 3-4.

6. Continue until you make your way from Deployment to Homecoming.

7. First player to reach Homecoming WINS.

Options • Create your own game pieces.• Use the blank game cards to share your own experiences.

www.operationmilitarykids.org

Created by Iowa Speaks Out for Military Kids team, Copyright 2008 AMWRF. All rights reserved. Photocopying or reproduction strictly prohibited except within the Department of Defense andNational 4-H.

You

r sold

ier receives a m

edal o

f bravery.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

You

r loved o

ne’s co

mp

any co

mp

letes its missio

n

early and

gets to

return

h

om

e early. M

ove forw

ard 7 sp

aces.

You

r loved o

ne

receives R &

R(rest an

d relaxatio

n).

Ro

ll again.

You

get a su

rprise p

ho

ne

call from

you

r loved o

ne.

Move fo

rward

2 spaces.

You

go

t a starring

role

in th

e scho

ol p

lay. M

ove forw

ard 1 sp

ace.

You

get to

have a

web

cam co

nversation

w

ith yo

ur loved

on

e. M

ove forw

ard 3 sp

aces.

You

send

pictu

res of yo

ur

family an

d excitin

g even

ts at h

om

e that b

righ

ten

you

r dep

loyed

loved

on

e’s day.

Move fo

rward

3 spaces.

You

have a satellite

telecon

ference fo

r an

imp

ortan

t event so

you

r d

eplo

yed loved

on

e feels invo

lved.

Move fo

rward

4 spaces.

You

r loved o

ne

successfu

lly iden

tifies

and

dism

antles an

IED

(Im

provised

Exp

losive

Device).

Ro

ll again.

Th

e OM

K M

ob

ile Tech

Lab lam

inates p

ictures

for ch

ildren

to sen

d

overseas to th

eir dep

loyed

loved

on

es.M

ove forw

ard 2 sp

aces.

You

r loved o

ne g

ets tran

sferred to

a safer area. M

ove forw

ard 2 sp

aces.

You

receive a letter from

yo

ur loved

on

e. M

ove forw

ard 2 sp

aces.

It’s you

r birth

day! B

ut yo

ur

loved o

ne m

isses ou

t. M

ove back 2 sp

aces.

You

experien

ce a loss

in co

mm

un

ication

with

yo

ur d

eplo

yed loved

on

e. Lo

se a turn

.

You

have an

anxiety

attack becau

se of

dep

loym

ent stress.

Move b

ack 3 spaces.

You

need

to d

o extra

wo

rk at ho

me to

make

end

s meet, so

you

miss

an im

po

rtant co

ncert.

Move b

ack 3 spaces.

You

r loved o

ne’s

ho

meco

min

g is d

elayed.

Move b

ack 6 spaces.

You

acciden

tly watch

a n

ews rep

ort o

n th

e over-seas co

nfl

icts. Over th

e n

ext two

weeks yo

u h

ave fo

ur n

igh

tmares.

Move b

ack 4 spaces.

You

receive negative

sup

po

rt from

com

mu

nity

mem

bers.

Move b

ack 2 spaces.

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ot a

gam

e:

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gam

e:

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gam

e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

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e:

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OMK Mission

Iowa Operation: Military Kids builds partnerships to: H increase community capacity H support youth of Military Families

OMK GoalsH Provide training on the deployment cycle to public agencies, schools, community, and youth-serving organizationsH Assist communities in developing locally based community support networksH Provide educational, recreational, and social program options

National and state partnersU.S. Army Child and Youth Services

USDA/National 4-H Headquarters

Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)

Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)

The American Legion

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Iowa Army/Air National Guard

Reserves – Army, Navy, Air, Marine, Coast Guard

Iowa School Counselors Association

Operation Give a Hug

Inter Service Family Assistance Committee (ISFAC)

Iowa National Guard Officers Auxiliary

Iowa Operation: Military KidsExtension 4-H Youth BuildingAmes, IA 50011-3630

Chris Gleason cgleason@iastate.edu(515) 294-1557

Chris Cook-Leitz chriscl@iastate.edu(515) 333-3818

Victoria Schmidt vschmidt@iastate.edu(515) 988-3949

Operation: Military Kids Iowa is a partnership of Army Child and Youth Services, USDA National 4-H Headquarters and Iowa State University Cooperative Extension 4-H Program. Operation: Military Kids is funded by the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project under Kansas State University Special Project #2007-48661-03868.

… and justice for all. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimina-tion in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

4H3045 January 2009

www.operationmilitarykids.org www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/omk