Forever young: Camp Rosenbaum thrives with the spirited support of its retired military members

You can hear the music booming from outside the building as packs of kids race inside, shouting as they begin to dance around the room, weaving lines across the floor. The adults? They are not just fine with the chaos – they are the ringleaders, cranking up the sound system inside “The Clubhouse,” and trading high-fives with every passing dancer. This is Camp Rosenbaum, where enthusiasm knows no bounds.

Nearly every summer for more than fifty-seven years, Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center near Warrenton, Oregon, sheds its military persona for one week and becomes a wondrous summer camp for children from low-income families. The clamor of obstacle courses and the echoes of weapons ranges give way to laughter, fishing poles, campfire songs, and horseback rides, filling this historic and diverse Oregon Coast military facility with the spirit of adventure.

This year, more than 140 kids ages 9-12 are taking part in a traditional weeklong overnight camp, with busloads of boys and girls arriving on Sunday, July 26. Between epic Dodgeball matches at the gym and sandcastle-building on the Pacific coastline beach, campers dive into daily themes that spark communication, teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership. Guiding them are volunteer counselors whose identities remain a secret: first responders, police officers, National Guardsmen, and community leaders all step into new roles for the week.

The true spirit of the Camp lives on in the staff, with over 200 returning each year, eager to support the campers. Some circle the dates on their calendars months in advance, and even after retiring from military service, many National Guardsmen still find their way back to Camp.

“To put it simply – Camp is family,” said Don Claremont, who goes by the camp name ‘Hiker.’ “It’s an actual reunion because some folks that I’ve worked with in the [National] Guard, I see come back here year after year – as I say, it’s a roll call.”

During his military career, he was a jet engine maintainer and quality assurance chief for the F-15 Eagle fleet at the Portland Air National Guard Base. The retired master sergeant has been part of Camp Rosenbaum for 23 years and has served as a counselor for most of that time. Now, as group leader, he’s supporting other counselors as the organized daily schedule of pandemonium keeps the staff on their toes.

“Group leaders here at camp rally approximately 12 counselors and up to 48 campers each year. If there are any issues with the campers, we escalate them as they arise and help resolve them with each of the counselors,” Claremont said, describing some of the layers built into the support for the staff that has been successful year after year. “There is so much going on. We’re taking some kids to the beach for the very first time, then out to the campsite to ride horses and experience the natural environment here, which includes knowing about TAPS and how quietly respectful we need to be when it is being played.”

Camp Rosenbaum began as a spark of inspiration from Brigadier General (Ret.) Fred M. Rosenbaum, who served in both the Oregon Army and Air National Guard. Driven by his belief that children in low-income housing deserved opportunities to thrive and dream big, he envisioned a youth citizenship camp that could change the direction of their lives. What began as an idea to use the military training grounds at Camp Rilea for one week each year as a summer camp has blossomed into a cherished annual tradition for more than five decades.

This passion was rooted in Fred’s childhood. As a Holocaust survivor in Austria, he escaped to England as a child on the Kindertransport– a rescue program that brought children from Nazi-controlled territories to safety. He spent two years in England as a foster child before reuniting with his parents. In 1941, they moved together to the United States. In America, Fred's hard work and emphasis on furthering his education eventually led to him becoming a brigadier general in the Oregon Air National Guard, chairman of the Housing Authority of Portland, and a respected businessman in Portland.

Claremont, who spent part of each summer with Fred until his passing in 2010, said the Camp's life force still resonates with its goals. “We're bringing all these different kinds of volunteers together and getting them on the same page for a week,” while the staff works on the long-held themes: ‘Good Citizens work together, are fair, share, are loyal, care, and are everywhere.’

Camp Rosenbaum flourishes thanks to a behind-the-scenes team that runs like clockwork. From cooks and bus drivers to administrators, each expert ensures campers are fed, transported, and cared for. For 24 years, retired chief master sergeant Elaine-Loan Nguyen, known at Camp as ‘Duchess,’ has quietly supported the staff, making sure everything runs smoothly.

“I spent the first four years as a counselor and slowly transitioned into the military camp coordinator position, doing admin stuff, which I actually love,” she said. “I love the staff, obviously, and love seeing the kids come back every year, but I really love this camp – that’s what keeps me coming back.”

During her military career, Loan-Nguyen worked a majority of her career in the 142nd Wing’s Mission Support Squadron after serving four years of active duty at McChord Air Force Base, now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Eventually, she transferred to the Oregon National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Salem, where she managed the human resources program, including hires, control rates, pilot and aviation bonuses, and training. At Camp, many of those organizational skills are still put to use.

“One of the things we changed in the past few years is to present the five-year military award for camp participation during commander’s call, so it gets the recognition it deserves, and others learn how to become involved with the program,” she said, relating how National Guard military members earn The Oregon State Commendation Medal by volunteering at Camp Rosenbaum for five years. “Because obviously, as the camp staff gets older, we move on and we need someone to replace us.”

For many Air Guard members who volunteer at Camp, it becomes a unique chance to connect with people they might never cross paths with, each from different corners of the Portland Air National Guard Base. Loan-Nguyen, like many others, sees this as a win-win for everyone working at Camp.

“A perfect example is Ryan Rosso (camp name ‘Curb’); he is one of our bus drivers that I've worked with here, but when I was back on base, he was in a different part of the unit, and I might not have ever met him without our involvement here at Camp.”

This sense of connectedness not only strengthens the resilience of military members but also creates a pathway to mentorship, personal growth, and fresh professional insights. Retired chief master sergeant Shelly Davison, affectionately known as ‘Camera Bag’ at Camp, has seen these transformations unfold from a front-row seat for nearly three decades. Throughout the week, her team of photographers and video specialists captures the special moments of the campers’ journey. As the week draws to a close, all the campers and the entire staff gather back at the Club House one last time, sharing laughter and tears as they watch a moving video montage before the campers board the buses home.

“The mission we have and the way we can support these kids, I don’t think you can find anywhere else. Just the amazing people out here. My daughter Sydney (camp name Tipper) started as a youth volunteer at 14 and keeps coming back because she is super passionate about it,” Davison said, placing an even higher value on what the camp ‘Family’ entails.

Throughout her long National Guard career, Davison took on a variety of roles, moving from the multimedia department to communication custodian, then to public affairs, services, and ultimately leading as superintendent in the Communications Squadron. Her journey mirrors the evolution of photography itself, as she transitioned from capturing moments on film in the analog era to mastering digital photography, both in the military and as technology transformed the camp experience.

“It’s been an interesting journey. When I started in 1996, we were talking slides, running film to the local Fred Meyer…then we evolved to videotape, and not to long after it’s all digital…which is both a blessing and a curse…because we're going through over 4,000 images in a day that we need to sort through,” she said, describing the challenge to capture all the elements of Camp.

These images become treasured keepsakes for families, help showcase the full experience of the Camp, and culminate in the much-anticipated ‘End of Camp Rosenbaum Video’ presentation, skillfully crafted by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Frank, known at Camp as ‘High Rise.’ The two worked together at the wing’s public affairs office, and the week of Camp allows them to team up again with a staff of three others.

“It is incredible to see everybody, but I feel like the group is getting smaller and smaller,” she said, reflecting on her years of experience at Camp. “But…this really gives you a chance to do some mentorship. Technology changes all the time. New blood is good, and we need that, right?”

This emphasizes one of the salient points of Camp: prioritizing the long-term well-being of marginalized people and children seeking guidance in an ever-increasing, fast-paced world. The summer camp experience gives everyone a chance to thrive and live in the moment – feeling valued and continuing to reach out to make lasting changes in the community.