Operation Bigs
Mentoring the children of the brave men and women serving our country
San Diego County is one of the largest concentrations of active military in the world.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County partnered with Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to create Operation Bigs, a first of its kind program, to serve this population more effectively.
Operation Bigs provides mentors to children of military families, including active duty, veteran and Gold Star families. Operation Bigs has served more than 3,000 Navy and Marine Corps children to date.
Operation Bigs supports families presented with challenges such as frequent relocation, school transitions, separation from extended family, increased responsibility coupled with a sense of loss when a parent deploys, as well as the physical and psychological stress faced when parents return from war.
Since the on-base launch at Camp Pendleton, the program has spread across San Diego to serve youth through both site-based and community mentoring programs and has been recognized as one of the most successful military mentoring programs in the country.
To date, Operation Bigs has inspired the expansion of over 30 Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates across the country.
“I have changed drastically as a person, both physically and mentally, in the most positive ways possible, with Tim playing a large part in that for many years of my childhood.”
– Little Brother Christofer
Former First Lady Michelle Obama came to visit our Operation Bigs program in 2010, and when she visited, we were honored by her remarks to the Camp Pendleton Community.
“A wonderful program that we were proud to help celebrate at the White House during National Mentoring Month — that was Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego and their ‘Operation Bigs,’ which provides mentors to so many great military kids here at Pendleton.”
This program is made possible in part by funding from the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures.
Wings for Littles is a one of kind program where volunteers from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 and 323 (VFMA-232, VMFA-323) provide a behind-the-scenes experience for Bigs and Littles at MCAS Miramar, including flying in F-18 Simulators, tours of the jets and equipment, and Q & A with the pilots. This program fosters meaningful mentoring connections through extraordinary experiences!
Military Advisory Committee 2025
Providing strategic direction and council for Operation Bigs
Tina Rose
TinaR@sdbigs.org
BBBS STAFF, CEO and President
Claudia Robles
claudiaa@sdbigs.org
BBBS STAFF, Program Director
Chris Santos
chriss@sdbigs.org
BBBS STAFF, Outreach Manager – Volunteer Recruitment
Vanessa Hewitt
vanessah@sdbigs.org
BBBS STAFF, Operation Bigs Enrollment & Matching Specialist – youth recruitment
Kim Pham
KimP@sdbigs.org
BBBS STAFF, Operation Bigs Lead
Jim Gruny
gruny1802@gmail.com
Community Liaison Officer, MCRD
Terri Mateo
terri.l.mateo@gmail.com
Sr. Devopment Director, Our Military Kids, Alumni Big Sister
Tim Chelling
timchelling@gmail.com
Big Brother Operation Bigs, Retired USAF, Public Affairs
Lily Carlton
LilyCarlton@gmail.com
Blue Star Families Program Manager, Marine Chaplin Spouse
Shelly Schutzman
shelly.l.schutzman.naf@us.navy.mil
Regional Director, Fleet & Family Rediness, Navy Region Southwest
Chad Lunsford, PdD
chad.lunsford@verizon.net
Regional Work & Family Life Coordinator, Navy Region Southwest
Scott Smith
sfsmith8286@gmail.com
CHAIR, Alumni Big, Major General USAF, retired
Yara Paredes
yvp1082@gmail.com
Operation Bigs Parent, Navy Retired
Chikako Pruitt
Operation Bigs Parent, Navy Retired
Ready to Get Started?
Real Families. Real Impacts.
Thanks to the Jack in the Box Foundation, The May & Stanley Smith Foundation, The Farrell Family Foundation and so many other community supporters, the Operation Bigs program continues to grow. But in order to serve our community’s large number of military children, additional support is still needed.
If you want to support our military through a donation to the Operation Bigs program, please contact Talia Katzir, Director of Philanthropy, at TaliaK@SDBigs.org or (858) 536-4900 x205.
