Life as a military child is not always easy. There are a lot of good things about being a military child, though. We have been able to live in multiple states and in Japan since my dad has been in the Navy. We have also been able to travel around the world and visit a bunch of cool places like Texas, Washington, D.C., And Osaka. The hard part of being a military child is that sometimes my dad needs to be away for a long time, like when he was in Iraq for 9 months or when he was gone for a few months for different kinds of training. His deployment to Iraq was especially hard because he missed my whole first year of school! I don’t like it when my dad has to be gone for so long. Even though there are some things that make it difficult, I am still proud to be a military child because we get to live all over the world and make friends everywhere we go.

Slade

I think it is amazing to be a military child because I can go to new places, learn new cultures, and speak new languages. Being a military child is cool because I like spending time with my dad. It is great to be a military child because I have met lots of friends from around the world. Sometimes I don’t like being a military child because I have to move a lot and lose friends. I love being a military child because I can eat new kinds of foods, such as chicken dumplings and curry. Altogether, I really love being a military child.

Lydia 

I enjoy being a military child because I get to live on the beautiful land of Okinawa. I love it when my dad is home because I can give him a big hug. When he’s not home, I feel sad. I also like visiting new places like Hawaii and Georgia, and meeting and playing with new people. Being a military child is fabulous!

Bryson 

I love being a military child because I get to meet new people and see different places. It is so cool being a military child because I live in amazing Okinawa right now. When I traveled to Wisconsin, I saw some snow, which was the first time I had ever seen snow! I built a snowman with my brothers, Shelby and Miles. I can see something new when I move, too. With my family, I enjoy creating memories while I travel. I love being a military child because my dad protects me, too.

Eisley

I love being a military child because I want to be like my dad. I like hanging out with my dad. My favorite thing to do with my dad is going to get ice cream. My favorite flavor is mint chocolate. I also like my dad’s road trips. Once we went to Okuma Beach and found an octopus tentacle, and I found a shark tooth. I love being a military child because my dad is the best.

Costen

It’s awesome to be a military-connected child. I was born in Okinawa, and sometimes I go to different restaurants and shopping with my cousins. I met some new friends at school, and they are very kind. When I come to school, I speak English, but at home I speak Japanese. I like learning English. It’s really fun to be a military-connected child.

Saya 

I like being a military child because I can move to new places. So far, I’ve been to Washington, D.C., United States of America, and Virginia. In Washington, D.C., I saw the Washington Monument and the Abraham Lincoln statue. I had a cool and awesome vacation.

My second reason I like being a military child is because I can go to Kinser Elementary School. I have Mrs. Smalls as an awesome teacher. Kinser Elementary is awesome.

My last reason I like being a military child is my dad protects me and my family. I am very proud of my dad. He’s a hard worker, and he is very special to me. Being a military child is amazing!

Alexander

Being a military child is cool because my dad protects our country and my mom is a good cook! At school, my favorite subject is math because I can add, subtract, regroup, and later—oh, I’m gonna learn how to multiply and divide!

I love KSES because I have a nice teacher. Since living in Okinawa, I have tried new foods such as dumplings, cheese breadsticks, ramen, steak, Spam, and tuna! I was born in California, and the weather was very hot! Now I live in Japan, and the weather is hot most of the time.

I like to travel! So far, I have visited American Samoa, U.S.A., Micronesia, and Japan! My favorite two places are American Samoa—because of fabulous memories—and Micronesia, because I have family members there! Altogether, being a military child changed my life!

 Jesse

I like being a military child because I think it is great. I like being in Okinawa because I like Blue Seal, and my favorite flavor is chocolate fudge. I like my school because I like to go to recess and run around, and I love math because I like adding and subtracting. I like living on base because the beach is close to school. In conclusion, I like being a military child because my mom is in the military, and I like to work.

Alessio

I love being a military child because I have a strong and brave dad who can protect me and my mom. Being a military child allows us to live on base. So far, I’ve had opportunities to go to festivals, and I like exploring huge parks. I also can make new friends, but it is going to be hard leaving my friends because they were really nice. Being a military child is great because I can go to huge new schools and learn new cultures. Altogether, being a military child is awesome, amazing, and great because it is really joyful!

Asher

I enjoy being a military child. Visiting my dad’s work makes me happy because I love looking at the trucks. Living in military housing is great because I can play with my friends. I’ve been to Okinawa, Japan; Hawaii; and North Carolina. Hawaii is my favorite place to live because it is so beautiful. That’s why I like being a military child.

Noah 

I love being a military-connected child because I can do a lot of fun things, such as going to the pool, the park, and the playground. At the park, I have met so many new friends. So far in my life, I have had a lot of fun, and my family loves me.

I love eating different foods, like sushi, noodles, and different kinds of ramen. I love going to the beautiful sandy beaches in Okinawa. Okinawa has so many interesting and different places to visit. I love Okinawa because it is so cool!

I love to travel, and so far, I have visited Cambodia and lived in Guam and the United States of America. I love to go to Cambodia because a lot of my family members live there.

Now in Okinawa, I have an amazing teacher named Ms. Smalls, and Kinser Elementary School is a great place to learn. Altogether, I love my life!

Amara 

I like being a military child because I have met some nice people and attended good schools. Also, I’ve had opportunities to go to beautiful beaches, the park with my friends, and big stores off base.

Being a military child is amazing and a lot of fun. I have explored different places in Japan and attended fun parades and exciting parties. I traveled to Mexico with my family.

Kali

I love being a military child because I have traveled to fabulous places. For example, I have traveled to Hawaii and hiked on a huge mountain. Hawaii is a beautiful place to go swimming. The beaches and ocean are gorgeous! If you go to Hawaii, you need to swim there.

Moreover, I think California is a good place to live because I was born there and we lived on base. I had a lot of friends, and they were very nice and polite. Once in California, my friends and I had a water balloon fight and a water gun fight!

These are the reasons why I love being a military child. Altogether, my life is awesome.

Ben 

I like being a military child because I can be brave. First of all, I am brave because I can climb very high mountains. Another way of being brave is holding a jumping spider—but it was not poisonous.

I love my dad! He is special to me. I feel he is brave because he can fight for our country and protect us. My dad protects our family. I love him a lot. He has to leave us and visit lots of places, like Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and America.

Being brave is a positive thing. I have to be brave when my dad is gone!

Hayden

I love being a military child because it is so amazing. First of all, I saw beautiful scenery while visiting Tokyo. At the beach house on the Pacific Ocean, I saw some flounder and puffer fish. I spent some quality time with my parents while playing Kippiopi. At Yokosuka, I visited the hospital where I was born, and I sang some songs at a karaoke restaurant. I like being a military child because of all the amazing places I get to visit.

Rowan 

I think being a military child is cool. I was born in North Carolina, and I have moved a lot—I mean a whole lot! So far, I have lived in California, Florida, North Carolina, and Japan.

I have happy memories of going to the pool, park, and Legoland with my family. At the pool, I rode on my sister’s back and raced her from one side of the pool to the other. Also, at the park, my sister and I always went up and down the slides. At Legoland, I went on a roller coaster and lots of rides.

I like being a military child because I have met amazing people like Ben, Ms. Cooper, and Ms. Smalls. I am so grateful that I am a military child!

Logan 

I like being a military child because it’s exciting. When it’s sunny, I can play with my friends. Sometimes we play hide and seek. I also like playing tag and freeze tag because it makes us healthy.

I like doing activities with my dad, such as working out, doing science experiments, and homework. My dad makes me proud because he protects me and my family.

Being a military child is very exciting and rewarding! It makes me feel special.

Ronan

Camp Kinser