‘‘The Good Grief Camp matches a military mentor with each child attending the camp,” said Master Sgt. Jay Wedel, training flight superintendent for the Air Force Honor Guard on Bolling Air Force Base.

‘‘These mentors build a bond of trust and support as the children learn healthy ways to cope with their grief,” he continued. ‘‘They also help to reestablish the connection to the military many of the children have lost.”

The children who attend the camp range in age from 1 to 19. The way that these children’s loved ones were lost is as varied as the places they’ve come from. Some have died during the most recent battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, while others may have died by suicide or natural causes. According to the Web site www.taps.org, ‘‘The way a loved one was lost is not the focus, we honor the life and service not the circumstances of the death.”

‘‘The seminar has helped build an extensive support network for survivors; moms, wives and the children,” said Sergeant Wedel, who has served with TAPS as a mentor, team leader and military mentor recruiter. The camp’s impact is evident as some of the kids who’ve attended the camp for years have come back as adult mentors.

All mentors receive several hours of training the day before the camp begins, he said. ‘‘During the training, mentors are given an overview of what to expect and how to help the children make their way through healthy grief exercises. The training and the grief exercises are led by adolescent grief experts.”

Mentors may also face their own challenges during the camp. The toughest challenge during the camp for Sergeant Wedel is seeing the pain and loss many of the children feel.

‘‘Some kids can open up right off the bat while others begin the camp quiet and distant. They put up an imaginary wall that seems impenetrable,” he said. ‘‘But, the next year the child who had the wall up – will come back and lead the group through an exercise. You see these kids change just over the course of the weekend.”

The camp offers personal rewards for the mentors, as well as the children.

For Sergeant Wedel his biggest personal reward from volunteering as a mentor is, ‘‘Seeing how the kids grow from the experience – how much it changes them... and the troops too. Everyone benefits from the program, not just the kids; the impact is powerful and lifelong.”

‘‘The TAPS Good Grief Camp gives youngsters a solid foundation on which to build a healthy future following a tragic loss,” according to the Web site. ‘‘The average American doesn't understand the immense sacrifices that military families make for America. Being a military family requires special people and dedication. When a parent or loved one in that family dies, the children deserve the very best care possible. These surviving youth learn coping skills and will learn the feelings they are experiencing are normal reactions to an abnormal event – the untimely death of a parent or loved one. These surviving youth learn coping skills and will learn the feelings they are experiencing are normal reactions to an abnormal event – the untimely death of a parent or loved one.”

Sergeant Wedel said the camp is expecting about 400 children to attend this year and they hope to have 1-to-1 ratio of mentors to survivors. There is a higher need for male mentors as many of the children have lost a male figure in their life.

Service members interested in volunteering as a mentor for the Good Grief Camp can contact Sergeant Wedel at jon.j.wedel@yahoo.com. For more information, call 800-959-TAPS (8277).