Things Only Military Brats Understand

Now for another national day.

National Military Brats Day

April is known as the Month of the Military Child. In that same vein, Military Brats Day is observed on April 30th.

About one in 25 Americans … is a Military Brat. No one is sure of the number because the Department of Defense did not keep precise records of the children of military personnel. None the less, those children make up a cultural group whose members live in all 50 states, in most American Territories and numerable foreign countries. Their careers are various, their interests are many, but they share a common culture.

Once a nomadic band who struggled to stay in touch, Military Brats are leveraging Social Media to pick up and reconnect the disjointed pieces of their childhood. Unlike most children who had the same classmates K-12, Brats often attend four, six even 10-12 schools, seldom staying in the same place for more than a year or two. Many whose childhood homes were on military installations aren’t allowed to “go home again” unless they join the services themselves as adults. Through significant sites such as the Military Brats Registry, Operation Foot Locker, American Overseas Schools Historical Society and others, Brats are finding lost friends, sharing stories and experiences, and organizing around various causes and activities.

HOW TO OBSERVE

When considering the sacrifices of military personnel, don’t forget the sacrifices of the youngest military members, their children. Use #NationalMilitaryBratsDay to share on social media.

HISTORY

Military Brats, Inc. founded National Military Brats Day in 2016 to pay tribute to the sacrifices Military Brats everywhere make. The day was approved by the Registrar at National Day Calendar® in April. Part of the National Military Brats Day initiative is a proposal that Congress set aside a day acknowledging these military children.