National Military Programs

DoD Military Outreach Initiative
The Department of Defense has contracted with the Armed Services YMCA to fund memberships at participating YMCAs throughout the United States and Puerto Rico for various Title 10 DoD Military Groups.

Operation Kid Comfort
Operation Kid Comfort creates custom-made quilts for children of deployed military personnel who experience grief from missing their mom or dad.

Military Family Month
Military Family Month was established in 1993 by the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) to demonstrate the nation’s support and commitment to the families of military personnel.

Operation Outdoors
Through ASYMCA’s Operation Outdoors, military children attend camps across the United States. These camps are especially important for military children because they allow them to make friends and connect with other military kids who also are affected by the stress of war.

Student Art & Essay Contest
The annual ASYMCA Art and Essay Contest is officially launched every November and is open to all eligible children of U.S. active duty or retired service members. Winners are chosen the following Spring.

Operation Hero
One of ASYMCA’s keystone programs is Operation Hero, a program that aids children from six to 12 years of age who are experiencing temporary difficulty in school, both socially and academically.

Operation Holiday Joy
ASYMCA and Woman’s Day magazine, in partnership with the Military Channel, partner every November (Military Family Month) to sponsor Operation Holiday Joy, a national holiday drive to raise money for military families in need.