Celebrating the Military Brat

by: Leah Miller

In the spirit of being a part of the online military community, this blog will spread the word about other military family inspired programs and initiatives.

In honor of Month of the Military Child, I’d like to take a few moments to pay tribute to the “military brat“, the term for a person whose parent or parents have served full-time in the armed forces during the person’s childhood.

Here’s a quick highlight of a few of the organizations and programs developed specifically for military children.

• Military Brats Registry – This online database was created in 1997 by Marc Curtis. He developed the site to satisfy his own desire to locate old friends and classmates. He thought there must be others in the same situation. This site has a lot more to offer than finding people though. You can listen to podcasts, read the new blog, get information on ordering transcripts and birth certificates, and much, much more.
• Military Brats Online – Originated by Vann Baker to “help you re-connect with your Military Brats heritage and with friends you have met along the way in your nomadic life.” Military Brats Online is a social networking site with 3059 members. You can search for friends, edit your profile, invite friends to join, create your own discussion groups, chat, blog, upload photos and more!
• Operation Footlocker – “The Mobile Military Brat Monument” This traveling footlocker is full of memoirs donated by military brats. You can invite Operation Footlocker to your reunion or other brat event.
• Brats Our Journey Home – The first documentary about growing up military. About the film: “U.S. military BRATS share intimate memories about their unique childhoods – growing up on military bases around the world, then struggling to fit into an American lifestyle with which they have little in common. Narrated and featuring songs by Kris Kristofferson. Interviews include General Norman Schwarzkopf.”
• Brightwell Publishing – Established in 2005 to publish quality books which explore and strengthen the cultural identity of military brats.
• Ten Things Military Teens Want You to Know – Tips developed by National Military Family Association from survey responses from military children compiled from four years of Operation Purple® camps, a national summer camp program for children of deployed service members. This was created to give people in military teens’ lives a way to help decrease the stressors and affirm the positive aspects of military life. The toolkits are available to download or order in sets of ten.
• Operation: Military Kids (OMK) – The U.S. Army’s collaborative effort with America’s communities to support the children and youth impacted by deployment. Through a network of community partners, OMK provides youth program opportunities for school age, middle school and teenaged youth and connects them to support resources where they live.
• Military’s Style Guide for Teens (MSGFT)- Mission is to present current fashion at affordable costs through a printed magazine, available at select locations (Barksdale AFB and Fort Belvoir), to military children. MSGFT has plans to to expand the publication to other bases and posts but time and resources are limited, especially since the operation is run completely by teenagers, “For teens, by teens”. The ambitious editor-in-chief, Ryan, is working very hard along with teams across the country to put this all together. They also have a website and blog with tips, info and celebrity interviews.