Many people have asked why I will be going to Germany as an intern to work with the Child Development Center.
I recently received an e-mail from Camp Adventure (the program that the DoD contracts me through) that outlines the purpose of
the program rather nicely.
Here is a note from the coordinator that summarizes it quite nicely:
The Internship Program was established in 2004 to help with the Deployment
Cycle of troops "Down Range" (i.e., Afghanistan, Iraq). Their are four main
parts to a Deployment: Pre-Deployment (troops getting ready to deploy),
Deployment (troops leave for 12-15 months), R&R Rest and Recuperation
(Troops leave in the middle of their deployment for 2-3 weeks for a
vacation), Reunion / Reintegration (Troops return from deployment, but are
required to participate in specific briefings related to reintegrating back
into the real world), and Block Leave (30 days of leave with family).
Interns are heavily involved with this process as they help to cover for CDC
caregivers whose spouses have been affected by the deployment. Depending on
what part of the cycle the soldiers are involved with will determine the
role of the interns (i.e., providing child care during FRG meetings,
covering shifts for caregivers on block leave, etc). As an intern you will
witness first hand the affects of the deployment and the impact it has on
the children and their families.
Cycle of troops "Down Range" (i.e., Afghanistan, Iraq). Their are four main
parts to a Deployment: Pre-Deployment (troops getting ready to deploy),
Deployment (troops leave for 12-15 months), R&R Rest and Recuperation
(Troops leave in the middle of their deployment for 2-3 weeks for a
vacation), Reunion / Reintegration (Troops return from deployment, but are
required to participate in specific briefings related to reintegrating back
into the real world), and Block Leave (30 days of leave with family).
Interns are heavily involved with this process as they help to cover for CDC
caregivers whose spouses have been affected by the deployment. Depending on
what part of the cycle the soldiers are involved with will determine the
role of the interns (i.e., providing child care during FRG meetings,
covering shifts for caregivers on block leave, etc). As an intern you will
witness first hand the affects of the deployment and the impact it has on
the children and their families.
As caregivers in the CDC, many of you will become in essence, the child¹s
primary caregiver. Interns and fellow caregivers are often the ones
spending the majority of time with the children and will witness many
firsts, which include teaching children their ABCs and reading with them,
watching the first steps of young children, and teaching children how to put
on their coat. Some interns will also have the opportunity to witness
reunions between a solider and their child after being gone for almost 15
months. It will be an emotional, but self-rewarding time as you are
directly supporting the troops down range by providing quality care to the
children. As interns, we can only guarantee for the nine hours the children
are with us they are receiving the best care possible. We can¹t control the
stresses and frustrations the children and families face outside of the
center, but we can help an ensuring positive, fun, and age appropriate
growth when they are in our presence.
primary caregiver. Interns and fellow caregivers are often the ones
spending the majority of time with the children and will witness many
firsts, which include teaching children their ABCs and reading with them,
watching the first steps of young children, and teaching children how to put
on their coat. Some interns will also have the opportunity to witness
reunions between a solider and their child after being gone for almost 15
months. It will be an emotional, but self-rewarding time as you are
directly supporting the troops down range by providing quality care to the
children. As interns, we can only guarantee for the nine hours the children
are with us they are receiving the best care possible. We can¹t control the
stresses and frustrations the children and families face outside of the
center, but we can help an ensuring positive, fun, and age appropriate
growth when they are in our presence.
My flight itinerary:
I leave STL to Chicago around 2p Sunday. I have a lovely three hour layover before my 8hr and 43 min flight to Munich (9:50am). Another couple of hours layover (and navigating the German airport) before I hop on my last flight to Nuremberg and I arrive, happy and healthy (but, perhaps a little tired) at 12:05pm German time (7 hours ahead of us for now...after daylight savings..only 6).
That's all I know for now. For this program one has to be ready to adjust to whatever they are asking of you and be pretty flexible. Example: I have absolutely no idea where I will be staying (or how I will be getting there from the airport). What I do know is that I am boarding a plane tomorrow and getting ready for whatever is thrown at me these next couple of months.
Megan M. Gallagher
Wow! Megan that sounds incredible! I pray that you have an awesome experience and one that you will carry with you for the rest of your life! Enjoy the sites for me. I'll be checking in with your blog to keep up with you! God's richest blessings!!!
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