Military brat: the child of a parent or parents serving in the United States Armed Services; known as a term of endearment and respect.
The term military brat instills a great sense of pride in those lucky enough to call themselves one. They are unlike other children for many reasons. Often, these children have a better understanding of respect for their superiors, cultures different than their own, and the true difficulty of saying goodbye. Being a military brat can have its ups and downs, but when you're born into something, you learn to love and own it.
1. Home is where the heart is.
People are often asked, "where are you from?", and can easily give an answer, usually the place they were born. For a military brat, however, this answer doesn't come as easy. You may not even remember the place you were born, so there goes that answer. You may have just moved to where you are right now, and a new place doesn't exactly feel like home. One thing is for sure, though: home is with your family.
2. Turning 10 is a huge milestone.
At 10 years old, you can finally get your military ID. It's such an exciting moment because you can finally buy things on your own at the PX/BX. And if you're the first one out of your friends to turn 10, you're overwhelmed with pride when you show it off to everyone.
3. Most of your food comes from the Commissary.
The term "grocery store" probably isn't even in your vocabulary as a child. Your earliest memories of buying food come from the busy Sunday afternoons walking the long aisles of the Commissary, along with just about everyone else you know.
4. Meeting other military brats allows you to form instant connections.
When you move off base/post, it can feel like you're the odd one out among your peers. When you meet another military brat, though, a connection forms that no one else around you can understand. You swap moving stories, share all the places you've been, and if you're lucky, maybe your parents even knew each other at one point. You'll always find a friend in fellow military brats.
5. There is no job that is below you.
As children, you parents instilled in you the value of hard work. Sometimes you watched them come home every day; other times you didn't see them for months on end. They always reassured you that what they were doing was important, so you grew up with the idea that any job you do will also be important, and you should work your best at it.
6. Relationships are the most important things in your life.
As a military brat, you've had friends come and go more times than you can count. Some friends you never hear from when one of you moves away, but others you just can't let go of. As a kid, you spent many hours on the phone with your friend who lives across the country, or even across the ocean.
7. History is probably one of your fortes.
Whether it's U.S history, military history, or random history facts about different states, you know it. When you attend school on military bases, one of the things they emphasize is history, so of course, you love it. In fact, you might even have a collection of little gifts from places you've lived or visited during one of your moves.
8. Being independent comes naturally.
When you go off to college, you and your parents both know you'll be just fine on your own. You've had to learn to do things for yourself from a young age, with your parents working so often. If you were the older child, there's no doubt you had a large role in raising your younger siblings as well.
9. Homecomings are better than Christmas.
Whether your parent has been away for a few weeks or a few months, there's nothing like running up and hugging them when they finally come home. As kids, we don't fully appreciate this moment; as adults, we look back and are grateful that we were lucky enough to have our parents come home to us.
10. You grow up faster than other people.
Moving around, making and saying goodbye to friends, and unfortunately losing people you know and love. All of these things make up the life of a military brat. It is by no means an easy life. Parents will miss important moments in your childhood. By the time you get to high school, you have a better understanding of life than most of the people you will meet in your life. It is an honor to be a military brat, and you should pride yourself in being able to say that you are one.
