A Day to Remember: Cowboys Host Children of Deployed Service Members
- Jeff Bugher
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Laramie, WY — Last Saturday, the Wyoming football program hosted families from Operation Teammate, welcoming military children who are separated from a loved one. The event was held during a Wyoming Football spring practice and allowed military families to experience a behind-the-scenes look at the football program, meet players and coaches, and participate in various activities.
The Mission of Operation Teammate
Founded by retired Air Force veteran Tim Montjoy, Operation Teammate provides an opportunity for military children, especially those separated from their loved ones due to deployments, to gain a positive experience through sports and athletics. Montjoy explained the nonprofit’s purpose and vision:
"In short, with Operation Teammate, we provide various sporting events for military children, primarily during times of separation," Montjoy said. "The goal is not necessarily to motivate or influence the child to play a sport. We're using sports as an attention step to put kids in a positive environment."
Saturday’s event was held in the indoor practice facility at the Rochelle Athletics Center, and six military families, all from the National Guard, including fifteen children, were brought together. For these families, the event offered a much-needed break from the reality of separation.
"We had six military families (all National Guard), fifteen military children, with a total of 205 months — that’s seventeen years — of separation," Montjoy said. "The average age of the kids was eight, meaning over a third of their lives have been spent separated from their parent(s) due to military service."
The event also gave the families a chance for athletes to engage with the kids and share their own experiences, which Montjoy believes is a vital part of the event’s success:
"We encourage athletes to talk about their journey—teamwork, leadership, time management—and how they prepare for life after sports."
Jay Johnson’s Connection to Operation Teammate
Wyoming’s offensive coordinator, Jay Johnson, first learned about Operation Teammate while he was the offensive quality control analyst at the University of Georgia. "I connected with them when I was at Georgia in 2017–2018," Johnson explained. "We hosted an event in the fall of 2017 and it was really a great deal. I’ve been with this group since then, and we’ve hosted events all around the country." Johnson's support of the organization eventually helped bring the event to Wyoming.
Johnson’s connection to military families is personal, as his brother served in the Navy and experienced deployments.
"I’ve always had an affection for the military folks," Johnson said. "The sacrifice they go through as a family is amazing. My brother was career Navy, so he experienced some deployments, and obviously was away from his wife and kids for greatly extended periods of time."
For Johnson, supporting military families is a crucial way to give back:
"It’s great! We’re hoping that we can make an impact with the families experiencing a mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa that are gone serving," he said. "We’re hoping that we can give them more of an intimate sporting experience. It’s been very rewarding!"
Speaking of being fully supportive, Johnson also serves as a national board member for Operation Teammate.
Andrew Johnson Inspires Military Children
Wyoming native and senior safety Andrew Johnson (no relation to Jay Johnson), himself a former military child, could relate to the families because he has been in their shoes.
"I told them, it was a true honor and a privilege for them to allow me to come speak to them," Andrew said. "You got a lot of young kids there with parents who are deployed and a lot of times gone for nine months or even a year. So that’s tough."
"I grew up in the military. I was young when my dad (D.J.) did the deployment thing. He was over in Afghanistan for nine months, if I remember right. It’s hard," he shared. "And I have a lot of friends who were military as well, so I see that impact on their families."
During his talk with the children, Andrew emphasized the importance of being strong as a military kid:
"Your parents are heroes. They’re over there serving our country; they’re heroes. But having to deal with it every day — not having parents, or not having a dad or a mom to come home to sometimes, and never knowing if they’re gonna come home. That’s a tough thing."
"Just a lot of really strong kids. I wanted to emphasize that they’re superheroes."
A Family's Perspective: Carmelinda Cornell and Her Children
For Carmelinda Cornell and her children, Olyvia (12) and Judson (10) of Rock Springs, Wyoming, the event was an amazing experience. Carmelinda’s husband, Captain Will Cornell, is a Chaplain for the Wyoming Army National Guard. Carmelinda shared that she learned about the Operation Teammate event from one of her deployment sisters who’s husband is also deployed.
Reflecting on the event, Carmelinda expressed gratitude:
"This event was so much fun! We had no idea what to expect and if our kids would really enjoy it or appreciate the experience. We were pleasantly surprised and blown away at what UW gave us."
The event was about more than just football; it was a chance for families to connect with things they share in common.
"Not only were we able to connect with other families who are sharing the same experiences, but we also got a kind Wyoming welcome by all that made us feel like we were also part of the team."
Her children, Olyvia and Judson, were particularly touched by the players’ kindness and the behind-the-scenes access they received.
"Everyone truly made us feel like we were VIP’s. They made our kids feel special and seen by giving us their time and welcoming hearts."
Carmelinda also told us how thankful she and her family are for the time Jay Johnson and Andrew Johnson gave to the families during the event.
"We got to hear Coach Johnson talk about how he has family in the military. We also heard from a player, Andrew, who has experienced his dad being deployed several times. He said he understood how hard it can be and that our children were heroes for persevering in tough times."
Carmelinda said her daughter enjoyed the event because the players made her feel special by spending time with her. Her son said he enjoyed seeing what it takes to be a good football player and that he really enjoyed spending time with the players and his fellow military children friends.
Carmelinda ended the interview by stating:
"The Cowboys are more than football and athletics. They're a family and a community... that is an honor to be a part of. Go Pokes!"
To learn more about Operation Teammate or to donate: https://www.operationteammate.org/
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