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Submissions for Month of the Military Child by Ms. Snowden’s ELA A-1 students.
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Life as a Military Child
When I was younger, I didn’t really understand much. I thought it was hard and unfair how we had to move all the time and barely see my dad. It is sad. Very sad. About all the things we all go through. Especially my dad. I wish I could see him more often. Now that I’m in Middle School, I got used to moving and meeting new people. It can be hard, but you will eventually get used to it.
I try to think on the positive side when I move. Starting fresh, making new friends, and exploring new places. You finally settle into your new home. Then it’s when it starts to go downhill. Your dad starts leaving more often. My mom took care of me and my younger brother the most. And when I leave again after 3 years, I have to say goodbye to my friends and start a new life in a new place. I love Okinawa, but now that I’m thinking about moving again, I’m sad. I built so many strong relationships with my friends, but again, this is the life of a Military Child. I can always stay in touch with my friends. I still stay in touch with my childhood best friend even though we live far apart now. Even though it can be tough sometimes, I am so grateful for my parents and for the life we have.
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Military Child
Being a military child means moving a lot. I think it was cool because I got to see many places. The places I have lived so far are England, California, and Okinawa. Being a military kid is great. You can go to many places such as the USA and overseas. Sometimes my dad leaves for a long time. One time, he left for two months for training. This is a sacrifice. If I was not a military kid, we would not have lived in all these cool places.
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Being a Military kid
Being a military kid means living in an ever-changing world. You never stay in one place for too long before you have to move again. While most people grow up in one house or town, my life is completely different. Moving around so much can be hard because I have to say goodbye to lots of friends and family but, it also has made me very adaptable. Lots of military kids including me can walk into a room full of strangers and find a way to fit in, a skill I would have never learned if I wasn’t a military kid.
However, being a military kid can be hard too. When my dad goes away for a bit it can be hard on the whole family. Sometimes your parents aren’t there for birthdays, holidays, or special occasions because they have something more important to do and you just have to accept that. However, it does make kids like me more independent and responsible because we have to help around the house when they are gone.
Finally, even though being a military kid can be hard, it is awesome to make so many friends and to move all around the world. It is a unique experience that not everybody has and it has taught me lessons about life and people that I will carry with me forever.
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Stars and Stripes Month of the Military Child Essay
Sometimes being a military child is not fun. Like when you need to move away from friends and start life at a new school. You have to say goodbye to people and places with a lot of ties and memories. Whenever my family and I went on an adventure and something went wrong someone would say, “Adventure Adversity!” So now it’s practically my family’s motto. My Dad is a Chaplin for the Navy. The Navy chaplains can also work for Marines so my family has many options to move to. Even though the hardest part of being a Military kid is moving, it’s also the most exciting.
When I found out that my Dad was going into the Navy, I was so excited. Little did I realize at the time I would have to leave my best friends. All I was thinking was that I could live in Japan (which was a dream of mine). When we got our first orders, I was disappointed because instead of living in Japan we were moving to Norfolk, Virginia. In the two years I lived there, I met wonderful friends and discovered a love for history and the Revolutionary War.
Our next orders were to Okinawa Japan! This is where we live now. Before we could move, my Dad had to go on deployment. It was really hard, but I was lucky enough that I was able to call him about every day. The move was worth it though because now I can go to cool places and learn about new cultures. “Adventure Adversity!” There are many ups and downs to being a military BRAT, but if you push through the hard parts life normally comes out okay.
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Month of the Military Child Essay
Moving as a military child could be tough in ways that go past just packing boxes, changing schools, and making new friends. A ton of challenges come from moving.
One of the big challenges as a Military child is moving schools. Just when you get close with someone you consider your best friend you’d have to move. Eventually it becomes a cycle, it becomes harder to make friends because you know you’ll leave them eventually, and some kids might stop trying to get close to other kids.
Another challenge is having to adjust to different environments. For example, if you move to different states or countries, it could mean learning new gestures or new languages. All of this takes time and practice to remember so all of this could be a bit overwhelming for some people.
So in the end, moving as a military child can be challenging, from moving schools, leaving friends and family, and adjusting to different environments, but these challenges can shape adaptability, and strength.
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Life as a Military Child
My dad joined the military way before I was born. The first place we moved to was North Carolina. North Carolina was the place I was born. We lived there until I was two. Then, we moved to California. I was young, but these places all brought me joy in their very own type way. Finally, we found out we were going to move to Okinawa Japan!
Okinawa has been my favorite place so far because I have had so many given opportunities here and really cool experiences too. I’ve gotten to go to Tokyo, Thailand, and South Korea, all because my dad’s job took us to Okinawa. Once in Thailand, I even had the cool experience to look at elephants up close without a fence.
Though of course. I have faced challenges too. Like I lost contact with a few friends in America. Also, I had to say goodbye to one of my dogs. At the end of the day, I love it here in Okinawa! All in all, being a military child is one of the coolest things ever! You get to see the world and explore the beauties the world holds because of your loved one’s career.
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Do you want to have to constantly move around every three years? Well then being a military kid is the thing for you. As a military kid, you get to travel a lot and experience new things.
The first good thing about being a military kid is getting to travel around a lot. This allows you to experience a lot more of the world. For example, instead of living in Florida, you could live in Italy! Some other places I’ve traveled to around the world because I am a military kid are, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Misawa Japan, and Okinawa Japan.
Another good thing about being a military child is that you get to experience a lot of new things, like new friends, new schools, or even new foods and restaurants. One of my favorite new things that I’ve experienced in Okinawa, Japan is eating at a Japanese restaurant called Coco’s curry. The food is delicious!
Every good thing always comes with a twist. I like being a military child, but something about it is hard, saying goodbye to old friends and family. It makes me pretty sad whenever I have to move. Whenever you move, you have to say goodbye to everyone you know. You may or may not see them again, so that’s why it is especially hard.
A military child’s life can be good and hard at the same time. Travelling is good, experiencing new things is good, but saying goodbye is always hard. In the end, if it came down to living in one spot for a long time, or moving around as a military child, I would pick being a military child!
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Home is Where the Military Sends Us
Moving around every three years is like living your life in chapters. Most kids I know have lived in the same house since they were babies, but for a military child like me, “home” is a place that changes almost as often as I change my shoes. It’s a cycle of packing boxes, saying goodbye, and being the “new kid” all over again.
The first year in a new place is the hardest. You have to learn a whole new school and find a seat in the cafeteria where you won’t feel lonely and figure out which teachers are the nice ones. Everything feels weird at first like wearing a sweater that’s a little too scratchy, but by the second year things start to get better. You finally have a best friend to text and you know the shortcut to the park and your bedroom finally feels like your own.
Just when you start to feel like you really belong to the third year hits. That’s when the “orders” come. You see the big moving truck pull up in the driveway and you have to start deciding which toys to keep and which ones to donate. Saying goodbye to your best friend is the absolute worst part. We promise to play Roblox together or FaceTime but you know it won’t be the same as hanging out in person at the park.
Even though moving every three years is sad sometimes it also makes you really brave. I’ve lived in different states like Maryland and Oklahoma and I’ve seen things my friends at school have only seen in books. I’m also good at making friends fast because I’ve had to do it so many times.
In the end, being a military kid means my life is like a giant collection of adventures. I don’t have one backyard I grew up in but I have memories from all over the map. I’ve learned that home isn’t just a building—it’s my family and we can take that with us wherever the military sends us next.
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Month of the Military Child
When I was younger, I didn’t like being a military “brat.”. My dad would leave for long periods of time, and I would miss him. I also didn’t like moving all of the time. It felt to me that as soon as we got somewhere, we would pick up our stuff and go somewhere else, leaving all of my friends behind.
As I grew older, I began to realize that when my dad would leave, he was going to support my country, and when we had to move, it was because my dad had to help in other places.
Now I realize that what we are doing is cool, and that I get to experience amazing things and meet new people. Overall, now I like being a military “brat.”
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Month of the Military Child
Being a military child can be both exciting and challenging. One of the biggest advantages is getting to experience new places and cultures. Military families often move to different states or even different countries, which gives kids the chance to see the world in ways many others don’t. They can meet new people, try new foods, and learn about different traditions. These experiences can help military children become more open-minded, adaptable, and independent.
However, being a military child also comes with difficulties. Moving often means leaving behind friends, schools, and familiar places. It can be hard to constantly start over and build new relationships. In addition, military parents may be deployed for long periods of time, which can make children feel lonely or worried. This can be especially tough during important moments like holidays, birthdays or school events.
Overall, being a military child teaches important life skills like resilience and flexibility, but it also requires emotional strength. While there are many exciting opportunities, there are also real challenges that come with constant change. Military children learn to balance the positive and negative aspects of their unique lifestyle.
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Growing up as a military kid usually means you’re the one moving, but for me, it’s been the opposite. My parents keep extending their time at this base, so while everyone else packs up and leaves, I stay behind. It’s kind of lonely to be the one standing on the sidewalk waving goodbye as all of my best friends leave. Hopefully, they will not forget about me.
The hardest part is summer when the neighborhood and school suddenly feel empty. Every year, I have to say goodbye to my friends and watch their houses go up for sale. It feels like the world is a movie that keeps playing for everyone else while I’m stuck on the same frame. Walking into the cafeteria and seeing new faces at our old table is a constant reminder that even though I haven’t moved, my whole world has changed.
However, being here the longest, taught me a different kind of resilience. I look at the positive side. Because I know this base better than anyone, I’ve become one of the people who helps the new kids when they arrive looking lost and nervous. Even though it hurts to lose my old friends, I’ve learned how to be the anchor for the next family that moves in. I might be staying in one place for a while, but I’m still growing up and learning that home is about the strength you keep inside when everything else around you shifts.
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I love being a military child because it turns the world into my classroom. While many people only read about different cultures in books, I have been lucky enough to experience them firsthand. Moving to new duty stations has allowed me to walk through historic cities, see famous landmarks, and live in places I never imagined I’d visit. Each move is like starting a new chapter in a giant adventure book.
One of my favorite parts of this lifestyle is the food. Everywhere we go, there is a new delicious local dish to try, from spicy street food in a bustling market to traditional family recipes in a quiet neighborhood. My palate has grown so much because I’m always open to trying something different. These flavors always remind me of places we’ve lived and the memories we made while sharing a meal as a family.
Finally, being a military child has taught me how to make friends quickly and keep an open heart. Even though saying goodbye is hard, I’ve learned that a new school means dozens of new people to meet. I have friends from all over the country, and even some in different parts of the world. This life has made me adaptable and outgoing, and I wouldn’t trade the friendships I’ve made for anything.
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Stars and Stripes Month of the Military Child Essay
Most military children travel a lot, but I’ve only moved twice. Even so, it was really hard. My first move was overseas, which was incredibly overwhelming. I moved from Washington State to Okinawa, Japan—going from snow and thunderstorms to constant heatwaves and humidity. Since I had lived in Washington for ten years, it took a long time to adjust to such a big change.
Another interesting aspect of being a military child is that my dad goes on deployments often. I worry whenever he goes on rescue missions to help people. Because of his job, he sometimes misses my birthday and other holidays. It is hard not having him there for special moments. However, I am still very proud of his service.
Lastly, being a military child has required me to develop the skill of fitting in quickly. Moving around the world meant constantly adapting to new environments and social circles. Because of this, I learned to fit in seamlessly into many different groups. I soon realized that making friends depends on being approachable and flexible. As a result, I now view fitting in as a natural and effortless process.
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The Month Of The Military Child!
As I went into middle school, I started to understand what being a military child is. When I was little, I didn’t understand why my dad kept going somewhere every week. Every time my dad left, I would always be sad and miss him. I also didn’t understand why I kept leaving my best friends behind when we moved. My mom was very helpful as she supported me when I was upset and missed my dad. She always treated all of my siblings with love and support when dad was away.
Now that I have grown older, I understand that my dad has a job that is a part of the military. My parents have always done their best to raise us in places that we would enjoy and could excel both mentally and socially. My dad is doing his best to serve his country and his best to provide for our family.
I am fortunate as a military child because I get to go to many places and meet new people. I was even able to visit and spend time with my family in the Philippines because we lived close by in Okinawa Japan. I have now came to realize the importance of my dad’s job in the military. Every deployment is important. As a child of a military parent, I am very lucky to be able to experience a lot of different places. I will always be proud of my dad and happy to be a military child. When I grow up, I too want to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a Marine.
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Military child
Being a military child means growing up in a world of constant motion, where the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes. From a young age, you become an expert at packing boxes and saying “see you later” instead of “goodbye.” Each new duty station brings a different school, a fresh set of faces, and the challenge of proving yourself all over again. While this can be exhausting, it also builds an incredible sense of resilience and adaptability that stays with you for life.
There is also a unique weight that comes with having a parent in uniform. You learn to read the news differently, watching for mentions of specific regions with a mix of pride and worry. Life is often measured in deployment cycles—marked by the long months of missed birthdays and holidays, followed by the overwhelming joy of a homecoming. This lifestyle fosters a deep sense of patriotism and an early understanding of sacrifice, as you share your parent with the rest of the country.
Ultimately, being a “military brat” means belonging to a global community that understands your story without you having to say a word. You might not have a traditional “hometown,” but you have a map of the world filled with memories and friendships that span continents. You emerge from this upbringing with a broad perspective and a quiet strength, knowing that home isn’t a specific building or a city, but the people who stand by you through every move and mission.
