When is National Military Brats Day?
April 30th is National Military Brats Day.
What is National Military Brats Day?
They’re modern nomads, and they’ve been around since the invention of warfare. National Military Brats Day honors the children of military personnel and acknowledges the unique qualities of their upbringing.
Outside the military, a brat is a rotten child. For the children of military service members though, ‘military brat’ is a term of respect and solidarity. These kids are intimate with the military lifestyle, battling perfectionism and living in foreign countries.
Most military brats grow up moving from base to base, following the merry-go-round of mom or dad’s non-combat reassignments. The closest thing to home might be a military base. That means joining the military might be, in a sense, like going home for them. They often have no other hometown.
They’re resilient too. They’ve had to be. Military children have to manage the stressors of frequent and long separations from a parent, as well as the risks of deployment. Jumps from school to school are common because they rarely live long in one place. Childhood friendships don’t often have time to develop.
We can remember the military children when we honor our armed forces. Their parents chose to serve our nation, and these kids took one for the team along the way. National Military Brats Day is an opportunity to express our gratitude.
Fun facts about National Military Brats Day!
Military brats can be any age, from 1 to 100.
Deployments affected two million kids between 2001 and 2017.
Military families move three times as often as civilians.
Military Brats, Inc. inaugurated National Military Brats Day in 2016 with the hope that Congress will one day grant an official day of recognition to military children.
How to celebrate National Military Brats Day:
Express your gratitude to a former or current military child. Military children make sacrifices too. Take time to acknowledge your appreciation that they faced the challenges of military life for the sake of your freedoms.
What’s the hashtag for National Military Brats Day?
Give some props to military kids by using #NationalMilitaryBratsDay on social media.