FAIRBORN, Ohio — Mention 4-H to most people and the response is: It’s a specially designed club for children who live on the farm. But not only has 4-H also made a connection with those in urban settings, it has stretched its boundaries to include the children of military personnel.

At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near Dayton, Ohio, children of military personnel have had an opportunity to learn about the organization thanks to the 4-H Clubs in Montgomery and Greene counties. Those counties abut that Air Force Base.

“4-H has done well to help serve the children of military personnel across the country,” said Theresa Ferrari, associate professor and Ohio State University extension specialist for 4-H Youth Development. Ferrari is also director for Ohio’s Operation: Military Kids (OMK), another support group that works with 4-H in serving youth of servicemen.

“The 4-H found on bases and at sites just off bases are for personnel in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Reserves,” Ferrari said. “While 4-H at Montgomery and Greene counties aim to serve children of these service personnel, it doesn’t limit it to just those children. Others participate as well.”

WPAFB is the largest Air Force base in the nation. There are 27,406 military, civilian and contract employees at this base.

Ferrari is a state 4-H military liaison. There is such a liaison in each state across the country.

“What’s really special about 4-H’s tie with the military bases is when military personnel get transferred to another base, the kids can find another 4-H program at the next base,” she said.

The 4-H programs on military bases came to life at the national level in 1995, but started in Ohio in 2002. The 4-H program now at WPAFB includes children living in Montgomery County and Green County.

In addition to spearheading 4-H involvement at these bases, Ferrari and others help coordinate efforts in support of such programs as OMK. This organization offers support to children of military personnel and operates at the state and national levels.

Like most 4-H clubs in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, the club at WPAFB holds periodic meetings and takes kids on various excursions. Last year children from Montgomery and Greene counties were among 265 to travel to Kelly’s Island near Lake Erie, to participate in the fifth annual OMK summer camp program.

The camp is a joint effort of Ohio 4-H and the Ohio National Guard’s Family Readiness program for youths who have parents in any branch of the military who have been deployed, are currently deployed or are preparing to deploy overseas.

“It was a good experience and a chance for these children and their military parents a chance to get away from it all and enjoy themselves,” Ferrari said. “Ninety percent of those children near these bases are affected by deployment or are going to experience it. Still, many of those same children of deployed soldiers continue to attend our meetings.”

In Ohio, Ferrari, like other liaisons in each state, helps link 4-H with military youth. State 4-H leaders have designated a 4-H Youth Development professional like her to serve as a liaison between Army, Air Force and Navy installations, National Guard and Reserve units, county 4-H staff, state extension administration and 4-H National Headquarters.

Working directly with children of military personnel from Montgomery and Greene counties is Robin Wirthlin, advisor for the WPAFB 4-H Club. Wirthlin served as a 4-H advisor in Massachusetts before coming to Ohio.

“We take kids across county lines as well,” Wirthlin said. “There’s a mandate that there’s a 4-H club offered for every military base in the country. The 4-H program allows for continuity when the families move from location to location.”

According to Wirthlin, as military families move frequently and experience the difficulties surrounding lengthy and frequent deployments, 4-H provides predictable programming and a safe and nurturing environment for their kids.

The 4-H National Headquarters at USDA has established formal partnerships with Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Airman and Family Services and Navy Family Readiness to support positive development education for youth whose parents are serving in the military. National 4-H relies upon the Land Grant University Extension System across the country to build strong relationships with Army, Air Force, Navy, National Guard and Reserve entities in order to provide technical assistance and training for military staff and to establish clubs for military youth.