The Iraq War is over and the Afghanistan War is winding down, but resiliency remains a vital skill for military kids to acquire and hone.

Such was the message of last week’s youth education summit, held April 9 at Fort Carson.Click here for pictures of the event

Over 100 area educators, counselors and other youth workers gathered at the Elkhorn Conference Center for the fourth-annual event, held each April due to its designation as the Month of the Military Child.

On the day’s schedule were speeches by the likes of Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Diana Sirko.

The local Army community can expect some big changes in the near future, Fort Carson commander Maj. Gen. Joe Anderson said during his opening remarks.

The Army is aiming to alter its deployment cycle by reducing tours to nine months, doubling time at home between tours and eliminating mid-tour leave by the end of the fiscal year.

The area’s large military presence will swell with the arrival of a new combat aviation brigade next spring and the return of a bulk of soldiers from deployment by the year’s end.

“Everybody won’t be here, but a hell of a lot more will be here than what we had by Christmas of last year,” said Anderson, adding that deployments aren’t going away.

“The (deployment) flow will continue. You know what that does to kids. Mind, body, spirit is how you help children become more resilient so when they have challenges of deployments, they’re better capable of dealing with them.”

Though last year’s summit also focused on resiliency, event organizer Armanda Hunt said a rerun on the topic was appropriate due to the new challenges military kids face.

“With more parents being home, they’re looking at a transition of authority in the household,” said Hunt, who for the post’s Child, Youth and School Services.

“They may be looking at moves — possibly a new home, a new school, making new friends. If a child has not experienced loss, there’s a high probability that they know someone in the military community who has. That’s another concern educators face in helping these children build resiliency or remain resilient.”

The bulk of the day was consumed by break-out sessions led by local experts and Fort Carson master resiliency trainers on topics like bullying, best practices and becoming a resilient educator.

Mountain Vista Community School counselor Julie Hoisington said she was “completely engaged” by Sirko’s keynote speech and looking forward to attending the day’s resiliency workshops.

“Not only do I have a high military population in my district, but we have a high poverty population as well,” Hoisington said. “The resiliency piece ties into both.”

Also among attendees was Fountain-Fort Carson High School freshman Cali Overcast, the sister of a retired Marine and an amputee who lost her left foot after a lifelong battle with a rare disease.

Overcast, who often speaks to wounded warrior groups, said she was asked by her superintendent to share her story of resiliency with the summit’s educators.

“I told them, ‘You can never give up,’” she said of her lunchtime speech. “There are obstacles that will stand in your way. But you always have to believe in yourself and strive to pursue your future.”

(THE COCA-COLA CO.) Photo by

General Anderson, commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, speaks at the 2012 Education Summit on Fort Carson. Photo by