Military Child Monday: What It Means to be a Military-Connected Child Essay

The Brave Hearts Resilient Souls Essay Contest is still underway. For more information click here.

What It Means to be a Military-Connected Child
By: Samantha Moeser

Being a military-connected child sometimes can be hard, but can also be good. When I was young, it was easier for me because when I made friends and then left them, I couldn’t really remember much about them. Now, it is difficult for me because I am older and it is hard to leave friends when you are older because you remember them. When you grow older, you grow a better bond in your friendships vs when you are young you can’t really remember your friends.  Another reason why it is hard to be a military-connected child is because you have to move all around to different countries, states, etc. and you may have to move somewhere where they speak a whole different language. When you move to a new town, sometimes it is hard to leave your current town and the stuff that you did there. One of the hard times is when my dad has to leave us for his job (going to another country or state) and is gone for a week or up to 205 days, which he did recently. I don’t get to see him in person. I only get to see him on the phone. I feel sad that he’s gone. One of the good parts of being a military-connected child is that I get to see many new places that most of my friends have not yet seen. Another good part, is that when I move I get to make new friends, but that is sometimes hard to do. I also get to learn languages like German and Spanish so I can speak that language whenever I go somewhere where they speak that language. I prefer being a military-connected child vs a regular every child, because I get to see a ton of places, meet new people, and learn new languages.

I am a Military Child
By: Sienna Ingle

As a military child, I face many challenges in my life. Some challenges I face are moving away from my home and leaving friends behind. Saying good-bye is something all military children around the world do. When someone asks, “where are you from?”, I think about the many different answers; I can answer about my heritage or the place I was born. I always answer by saying “I’m from Texas”. I have never lived in Texas but because I have family members that are from Texas, I feel connected to them. Although, I do face challenges, I also get many advantages when I move. Some advantages are getting the opportunity to experience new cultures and see new places. Even if I leave my home and go to a new place, I am a part of the military community. My experiences of different places and cultures have taught me many things. I experienced different foods and living styles. I also think being a military child is like being a painting, because paintings are something you add different details to and military children move to different places and by doing so they are adding to the painting different experiences from their lives. These opportunities teach me many things and that is what it means to me to be a military child.