Every military kid (in my case specifically, Army brat) has a special bond with one another because we all grew up differently than most. Every military kid knows what it’s like to create a mental script handy to present to whoever asks the ever-so-confusing question, “Where are you from?” Every military kid knows what it’s like to shop at the commissary on base. Every military kid knows what it’s like to live in a house covered with art that is military themed. Every military kid knows what it’s like to have to address their mom or dad in whatever respectful manner they were taught to do so because they live in a strict household. Every military kid knows what it’s like to be able to use the G.I. Bill for school. The list goes on. But most of all, every military kid knows what it’s like to have to adapt to changes in life due to the fact that being a member of a military family is unpredictable, yet rewarding.
Growing up, there were many times where I hated that I was a member of a military family because my dad would leave, and I would also have to move when I didn’t want to. Packing up and starting over was challenging for me. It meant leaving all of the friendships I had behind to enter into an entirely new world in which I knew no one. I quickly learned that if I wanted to make new friends, I had to put myself out there. I learned how to approach new people without being afraid to start conversations with them because I really didn’t have another choice. The friendships you make as a military kid are unique because you are bound to meet people who know people that you know from living in other places. In other words, you quickly find out how small the world really is.
As a military kid, you get to experience living in different places you may never have gotten the chance to see otherwise. For some, you may have even gotten to experience living in different cultures. The places that you have gotten a chance to live expose you to countless aspects of the real world we reside in. The people you have met and the places you have gone to have all played a role in shaping your future whether you realize it or not. Furthermore, in the grander scheme of things, they have influenced your decisions in life up until this point, which in turn has led you to where you are now.
As I’m sure a lot of military kids can relate, the transition into college wasn’t difficult. Packing up my life into some boxes and starting over again was nothing short of a routine. As a military kid, you have learned to adapt at whatever life has to throw at you. If you were told that you’re moving, you had to go with it. If your mom and dad are being deployed, you have to go with that too. From all this adapting came independence, which is something I never could have acquired to the extent that I have without the experience of growing up in a military family.
Growing up, I did not fully appreciate the experience that being a military kid had to offer. Now, I appreciate it more than anything. I would never be the person I am without all of the challenges I have had to face. I have seen so many places and met so many influential people that I never would have met otherwise. It truly has taught me life skills that I will be able to continue using for the rest of my life. I will forever be grateful for the service that the men and women of the military have given to this country in addition to the way the military has shaped my life.
