April was selected as the Month of the Military Child in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. The purpose of the designation was to recognize and honor the sacrifices and contributions that military children make to the armed forces community. Military children often face unique challenges such as frequent moves, long separations from their parents, and adapting to new schools and communities. Military children face a unique set of challenges that can impact their emotional, social, and academic well-being. The designation of April as the Month of the Military Child helps to raise awareness of these challenges and to show support for military families.
Taking Care of Our Military Children
This year’s campaign theme, “Taking Care of Our Military Children” seems most appropriate for representing the importance of our military children, teens, and youth. Over 1.6 million military children serve alongside our nation’s servicemembers. As a symbol to military children around the world, during the Month of Military Child, the Department of Defense uses purple which represents all services in the military community.
The dandelion symbolizes military children who face the challenges of frequent moves and deployments. Despite being blown in different directions by the wind, the dandelion is resilient and able to adapt to different environments, just like military children. The yellow color of the dandelion represents happiness, optimism, and hope, which are important for military children to maintain a positive attitude during challenging times. In addition, the white fluffy seeds of the dandelion can represent the spread of military families around the world. The roots symbolize the strength and support of the military community. Overall, the dandelion represents the courage, resilience, and strength of military children and their families.
Operation: Enduring Challenges
Military children face a range of challenges that can negatively affect their emotional, social, and academic development. Due to the nature of their parents’ jobs, military children often move from one place to another every few years. Moving frequently makes it more challenging for military children to make new friends and form lasting relationships. Additionally, relocating often means that military children need to adapt to new schools, teachers, and curriculums, which can be particularly difficult for those who have already established roots in the previous place.
Frequent relocations can result in disjointed learning experiences, and difficulty catching up with new curriculums. Military children are often on the move during critical stages of the learning process, which can lead to gaps in their education. To further complicate educational concerns, some relocations occur stateside (within the United States) or OCONUS, the term used to describe a relocation occurring outside the US in foreign countries.
Each installation has varying resources to accommodate these children. Some, such as Military and Family Life Counselors are typically available to aid in transition concerns and other social-emotional or behavioral issues that may present following these relocations. It is essential for parents, educators, and authorities to acknowledge these challenges and provide support to ensure that these children thrive in their unique circumstances.
In addition, military parents often deploy for months at a time, leaving their children with other family members or friends. The separation can be particularly hard on children, leading to anxiety, loneliness, and other emotional issues. Facing unique challenges when adapting to new situations is not uncommon for military children, particularly if they have moved frequently or experienced a major change in their routine.
Comparatively, military children are often exposed to experiences that are not typical for most children, such as the death of a parent or a traumatic event related to the military job. These experiences can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. They may struggle with emotional regulation, socializing with new peers, and adjusting to new expectations.
Daily Difficulties
There are deficiencies that seriously impact the well-being of military children and their families. Efforts should continuously be undertaken to address these concerns and ensure that military children receive the best possible education and support available. Some require tailored emotional support, consistent education to address gaps, and opportunities to build lasting, trusting relationships with peers as they progress in their academic and personal journeys.
Military families with special needs children may face significant challenges in finding appropriate educational and medical services. This can lead to inadequate or incomplete care and can negatively impact the child’s overall well-being.
Because they often move frequently, military children may struggle to keep up with state education standards. This can result in delays in meeting academic requirements and a lack of preparation for standardized tests. Curriculum variations between different schools can lead to a lack of continuity. Transferring military children may find themselves lost in lessons as their new school follows a different track in teaching approaches from their previous location.
Military children may also be faced with greater social challenges. Transferring frequently can also lead to difficulty in socializing with peers since they are always on the move. It may be difficult to build and maintain social skills and long-term relationships.
Ready, Set, Relocate
Growing up in a military community provides these children with a heightened sense of independence and maturity which sets them apart from their civilian counterparts. Military children become self-reliant, to an extent, and well-versed in various cultural differences through exposure by traveling on orders or through friendships gained.
I recently had the privilege of speaking with a few military children. They described their experiences, both challenging and rewarding, with such honesty that even in my adulthood I was taken back. Each child differed vastly from one another, yet grew up in the same household. They collectively agreed that they enjoyed the opportunity to experience the traveling and the vast resources available to them at each installation.
One young girl described the excitement of “PCS-ing,” the term used to describe when a service member obtains orders for a permanent change of station. This military child was born at an Army community hospital, spending over seven years traveling to various states and installations. She recalls how her mother would prepare her and her siblings for moving by including them in the process. Some PCS moves occur with months of preparation, although in one case for this family, orders were received one week prior to moving.
Her siblings shared similar experiences of enjoying long car rides across the United States. They can name an impressive list of historical locations across the country, national parks, monuments, and famous locations. These young military children have moved and visited more states than most adults.
Raised with Resiliency
These children are also familiar with the challenges of reintegration into different communities. One child described how he attended a new school for each respective school year until the service member was discharged—eight years and eight different schools. There was a noticeable frustration in his voice when he exlained how the school expectations and rules varied differently from one to another, causing disruptions in his early years. Each teacher had different classroom rules than the other and this confusion led to negative marks on his daily behavior chart.
Another child explained how each installation offered several resources and events for families including concerts, festivals, shows, and sporting events. There is a moment of reflection when the children describe listening to the artillery rounds in the distance in the evenings, and they recall the sounds of S.O.A.R, otherwise known as Special Operations Aviation Regiment or “Nightstalkers” performing training during the late-night hours. It’s just another notable difference from the civilian lifestyle. While we, as civilians, attempt to drown out the sounds of ambulances and highway traffic, these children slumber in their beds to artillery and helicopters.
Celebrating Youth
Military bases and installations may recognize military kids during the month of April as part of the Month of the Military Child. It is important to note that not all military installations may recognize Military Kids Month in the same way. Some may have different celebrations or initiatives throughout the year to honor military children and their families.
Military bases organize events and activities specifically for military kids and their families, such as family fun days, arts and crafts activities, and sports events. Some installations launch appreciation campaigns to recognize military children and their sacrifices. These campaigns include social media posts, photo contests, or messages of appreciation in local newspapers.
Military installations offer additional support services to military kids during this month, such as counseling services, youth programs, and tutoring services. In addition, some military installations nominate outstanding military kids for national recognition as part of the Military Child of the Year awards.
Little Boots, Big Destiny
As you get to know these military children, it is even more understandable why they are commonly described as resilient. The character of each individual military child is incredibly unique, yet collectively they are a cohesive Army family, of sorts. A commonality exists amongst each other, setting the military community apart from the civilian environment outside the installation gates. It is difficult to describe the intricacies of their uniqueness and challenges. However, in spending time with these military children I notice what is best described as a notable camaraderie.
Resources and Ways To Get Involved
Collectively, there are several resources available for military families.
- Military OneSource is a confidential resource that offers free counseling, financial assistance, and resources for education and employment.
- Child and Youth Services provides information on childcare, youth programs, and activities.
- Tricare healthcare programs provide benefits to military service members and their families.
- As previously mentioned, Military Family Life Counselors offer free, confidential counseling services to military families both within and outside installation schools.
- Family Readiness Groups provide support and resources to families of service members. These groups exist within each battalion and are especially helpful during deployment times and when spouses are interested in becoming more involved in the servicemember’s unit.
- Legal Assistance offers free legal services to eligible military families. This can be particularly beneficial in reviewing contracts, addressing complaints, or when professional guidance is necessary.
- Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Programs offer a wide range of recreational activities and services to military families. MWR can also provide passes to amusement parks such as Disney, local sporting events, and much more.
These are just a few examples of the many resources available to military families. It is important to note that each branch of the military also has its own specific resources and programs. It is a good idea to check with your local Military and Family Support Center to learn about all available resources and ways to volunteer.
