Advice from a Military Brat

The picture above means way more to some people then what most might perceive. To anyone in the armed forces, it may mean they have a duty to serve, protect, and fight for the people of the United States of America. And it comes with a value that's much bigger than the individual.

Yes it's true, members of the armed forces make a lot of sacrifices everyday to ensure the safety and prosperity of the American people. But let's not forget what's backing them up, family. Military families offer just as much sacrifice as the soldiers do (probably even more, but you didn't hear that from me.)

I myself am the daughter of an Army Officer, so I know what it means to make sacrifices. I think one of the biggest (and most stressful) things military children pass through is having to be the new kid, and adapting to new environments and communities. But I'm here to tell you it's not as bad as it seems.

Okay, maybe it is a bit challenging; and I'll use myself as an example. Right now, I'm 17 years old, but because my father is in the military, I've been to 17 different schools. I know what it feels like to always be the new kid. And having to make new friends every year. Over time though, it wasn't too bad, because you still have to look at the positive side. Meeting new people allows you to get to know the world around you and interact with people from different communities and backgrounds; as well as create long-lasting friendships.

Another thing I think military families (especially children) have a hard time with is the deployment of their loved one. I have a somewhat personal, but really funny story of what happened years ago when my dad was deployed overseas. We were in Oregon, I was about 3 or 4, and my parents owned a Dollar Store. My dad was away so my mom worked the register while me and my brother had to stay with this really weird babysitter. I got bored after a few hours and decided to go clean up the store. As we all know the attention span of little children is less than 5 minutes, so my attention turned from whatever I was cleaning to the sliding doors of the store. 

Then a thought popped into my head, "Hey! I haven't seen my dad in a while." Keep in mind he was deployed. But I didn't know that at the time so I stood up from the floor and walked right out the doors of the store, without anyone seeing me. I walked and walked for about a mile looking for my dad who wasn't even in the country. I guess my mom finally noticed I was gone because she called the police and they met me on the road. When they asked me where I was going, I told them "I'm looking for my dad." They laughed, probably thinking I was joking, and took me back to the police station where my mom came to get me. It was later that I learned I wasn't going to be able to find him because he was overseas

This story taught me that it can sometimes be hard on little kids when they don't see their parents or siblings for a while. My advice would be to make them feel as comfortable with the process as possible. Give them opportunities to talk with their loved ones over the phone or with a voice call. Because sometimes they might not even know what's going on (like with me and my dad).

Another piece of advice I have would be to use the many opportunities you would have overtime to upgrade your resume. Frequent military moves gave me the opportunity to volunteer for many different activities being held on the various military bases. While my family was stationed at Ft. Meade MD, I was a member of the Young Marines Corps.. As my family moved from Germany to Oregon, Ft. Lewis, Little Rock AR, Ft. Jackson SC, Ft. Meade MD, Ft. McCoy WI, Ft. Knox KY, Army war College PA and now Ft. Bragg NC, I volunteer my time through singing the National Anthem at Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations,  altar service and Lay readings at church, youth group and community services. I participated in 5k races for heart, cancer and children’s hospital, movie nights and  tubing. I also became CPR and babysitter certified. When I was in highschool, I became a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and even got a pin for completing the Cadet Leadership Challenge Course (JCLC)

Now I'm a college sophomore, at 17, with a pretty impressive resume (if I don't say so myself) and that wouldn't be possible if my father wasn't in the military. So the final piece of advice I have for any military dependant is this: You are strong, dependant, flexible, and full of courage. Don't forget that. And for all the civilians out there, whenever you thank a soldier for his/her service, don't forget to thank their family too!

COMMENT BELOW: Share your funniest military story.