Growing Up In A Military Family

Adding something a good BRAT friend stated about this picture in another group she shared it in,

I’m a military child. Change was instilled in me since my birth in Spain. My childhood was spent briefly in Europe, the east coast of the U.S, and eventually the Midwest. This change of scenery, schools, friends, and just about everything else in my life led me to be the person I am today. Travelling was amusing and I enjoyed change of pace every couple of years, but it wasn’t easy. I learned early on that getting attached to people wasn’t a good idea and should be avoided in preparation for the next move. This led me to being an incredibly shy child who couldn’t open up to people. The world I come from is an adventurous but problematic one. When I concluded making friends would assist with each transition I found myself too terrified to attempt

I didn’t grow up in a military family, I only recently became apart of it and in the past three years I have moved around a lot. I have been to three schools in the past three years, and it has been a huge transition. I lived in Oregon, Connecticut, and now Washington, and each time it was hard to keep up with school and make long term friendships when i knew i would be leaving soon. I hasn’t become easier and i know that it is something i will need to get used to but it is not easy.

Military professionals consider it a great honor to be able to defend their country. However, being away from one's family can be incredibly difficult. Many military people end up missing important dates in their loved one's life, such as family vacations, graduations and wedding days.

There is a large amount of military families around the world. About Forty- three percent of active military members have children (Website). These children face so many challenges and struggles in their life while having a parent in the military. Children of Active duty military members exhibit anxiety, depression and stress just as much as the service members and spouses experience. For instance the children experience going through multiple deployments, long separations, frequent moves and awkward reunions when their parents return home from deployment. Even more so if the parent has been physically or mentally traumatized from overseas.

Growing up as the son of a career Naval Officer, I have experienced a background that varies greatly from that of an applicant who has grown up in a strictly civilian family. The constant relocation, the exciting places I have lived, and the countless great, unique people I have met, have all contributed that that he unique childhood I have enjoyed. While at times my identity as a military child has made life challenging and difficult, I strongly believe that it has made me a stronger, more adaptable person because I have been molded by past experiences and I don't think that my application would be complete without this information.

Military personnel are not the only ones who have to make sacrifices. The family members also have to sacrifice the time that they spend with their loved ones. Military families deserve to be shown appreciation for all of the sacrifices that they make.

Have you ever thought to yourself “today could be the day I lose everything and everyone I care about?” As a military child I was use to moving but never did I think I would move to a whole new country. Moving to Japan was exciting, yet scary at the same time. I was excited to learn a new culture and language, but scared I wouldn’t fit in. Living on a military base I was surrounded by other military children and of course many Americans. I had an amazing first 2 years in Japan but all of that suddenly changed.

My grandmother once said, or at least I am told she once said, that she was concerned that my father should not marry my mother because she had no roots.

Military can effect many people dramatically without themselves noticing the changes, for myself I have changed in many ways. After high school I initially enrolled in college and was not ready to take on the classes that I thought I was ready for, and also I was having a hard time living at home. I moved out with my girlfriend and now wife, and had one child together. I soon became afraid disturbing family balance with changes. I decided the military was the most stable way to escape the standstill.

Day one May 28, 2008 the countdown to hell. Today has come. The girls and I are driving to the airport to pick my spouse, their dad after returning from his tour in Afghanistan. This should be an exciting day, but instead of the girls singing to the song playing on the radio, we are all silent. Excited to see him, but not sure if we're ready for what’s ahead of us, for him to return home. We put smiles on our faces and have genuine tears in our eyes as we hold our home made poster board welcome home message to him. His plane lands and we watch for him to come down the escalator to where we are waiting. He's

There is only a small percentage of people that grow up in Military Families in the US today. I grew up in this unique community of military families moving around every two years or less. I lived all over the United States and in South Korea and travelled all over the world. As I moved and traveled, I met people from different cultures, religions, backgrounds, and walks of life. These experiences taught me to not judge a person by their appearance. I learned to be open to new cultures and ways of thinking that were different then my own which taught me how to appreciate and respect those differences.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues and effects of military families and how they cope with deployments and reintegration. That is, by exploring many interventions and programs such as Operation Purple Camp, Military Child Education Coalition, and Families Overcoming under Stress. These programs should be utilized more often in order for families and children to effectively cope with military stress from deployments and reintegration. Three common themes that were analyzed in the literature review which are 1) Effects of Deployment and Reintegration of Military Families and Children; 2) Interventions for Children of Deployed or Reintegrated Parents; and 3) Maltreatment with Children of Deployed and Reintegrated parents. Specifically, this paper analyzes issues that fall under each of these three themes. That is, School and Educational Effects and Deployment, Psychosocial and Behavioral Effects of Deployment, Education and School Environment Intervention Programs, and Family Focused Intervention programs.

Growing up in a military family has its ups and downs. Sometimes you won’t see your parent for a long period of time or you may have to move frequently. Those types’ of events have two sides. They can help you become a stronger person in the future or the person does not adjust to such stressors. Growing up in a military family myself, I know how tough it can be.

For many years, war has been a monumental problem across the world. Numerous people have devoted their lives to become soldiers and fight for their country against other armies. Though, people usually think that these soldiers are the only ones that are getting hurt during this horrible time. Indeed, soldiers are getting worst of the pain during a time like this, but did we forget about the rest of the world that is being damaged because of this conflict? Throughout war, families, the environment, and children are all hurt somehow, and it’s not just the ones who fought.