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SPENCER - Ten-year-old Justin Rioux was enjoying his first swim of the morning at Camp Marshall, a 4-H camp in rural central Massachusetts. The breeze was chilling, but not enough to dampen the anticipation of a day filled with games, crafts and farm animals.

"It's fun here," said Justin, whose favorite activity is the waterfront. "I've made a lot of new friends and met a lot of new people."

But this week's camping experience wasn't just another summer idyll for the North Attleboro youngster and his older brother, Andrew, who also attended the camp.

The boys, whose father Shane is serving in Iraq, were among 79 children of deployed military personnel who came to "Operation Purple Camp" organized by the National Military Family Association for a sun-filled week of swimming, horseback riding and sports.

Justin, who has attended day camps in the past, said Operation Purple is a camp with a difference. "Kids here know what you're going through," he said. "They know how you feel."

Operation Purple Camp is the first camp of its kind in Massachusetts, said Patty Barron, director of youth initiatives for the National Military Family Association, which holds 40 one-week encampments in 26 states.

Support comes from major foundations and private donations.

About 80 children of deployed military personnel from the Northeast, ranging in age from 8 to 15, attended this week's camp. Camping gives children whose mothers or fathers are on duty overseas a chance to sample activities ranging from caring for farm animals to field trips.

It's a temporary but welcome diversion from the estrangement and and worry that comes from being a child of military parents. Many moms or dads are serving in Iraq.

"Many military families are going on their third or fourth deployments as part of the global war on terror," said Barron, a military mom whose husband serves at the Pentagon. "For children at home, that can mean a good deal of stress."

Often, children of deployed soldiers have few contacts outside their immediate families who can relate to their experiences.

"With the armed services making up about 1 percent of the population, you don't always have someone around who knows what it's like," she said.

For Justin's brother, Andrew, 14, having his dad serving overseas means stepping up to another level of responsibility.

"There's a lot of things my dad would normally do, like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn," he said. Now, Andrew says he's counted on more to perform routine chores, but it's a small price to pay to support his dad.

"I'm proud of him," Andrew said.

For 10-year-old Nicole Braga of North Attleboro, Operation Purple Camp offered a chance to take part in some of her favorite activities, especially horseback riding. Her mom is stationed in Iraq.

Nicole was excited to receive an e-mail at camp from her mother, Sue Featherstone, but wasn't anxious for her new friends at camp to find out.

"I don't want to make the other kids feel jealous," she said.

At camp, children get a chance to express their pride in their mother or father's service, as well as their fears and misgivings.

In one group activity, campers compiled a list of the "Top 10" pluses and minuses of being a child of military parents. Missing a parent and fears about their welfare were frequently mentioned drawbacks, but pride and meeting new people and learning about exotic lands where their parents are stationed were rated as major benefits.

The camp also encourages the idea that military kids also serve their country through their shared sacrifice and by supporting their own mom or dad back home.

"Soldiers don't serve alone," Barron said. "Of course, members of our military are sacrificing their time away from home and family and these kids are sacrificing something, too."

Missing mom or dad aside, many of the children at camp were enjoying their first overnight camp experience and the fun of sharing a rustic cabin with newfound friends. Others relished their first opportunity to ride in a paddle boat or pet a 4-day-old calf in the camp's barnyard.

"They're just like any other kids," counselor Chris Donahue said. "They're enjoying themselves. It's what they share in common that makes them special."