MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Close to a 140 mentally disabled children had the opportunity to experience army life firsthand this week.

The venue was AFB Makhado's annual camp for disabled children, hosted by 515 Squadron. This year's camp took place at Liyanga Lodge. It is the 17th anniversary of the camp, growing from 3 children in 1987 to 72 in 2003 and almost double the number in 2004. These children are part of a broad spectrum of boys and girls, black and white.

The idea of the camp is to create an environment for the children to be able to express fully their hidden talents and desires of what they think and experience the "army" to be. The children were, amongst other things, taken for a flip in a helicopter and were taught parade drills, "daily morning PT", adventure skills, musketry skills, animal sounds, bundle sports and self-defence. The camp culminated in a medal parade, where each candidate received a medal, including trophies for selected disciplines. All too soon the camp came to an end, with the children leaving for home again on Sunday. The camp took place from March 10 to 14.