Many military children are fortunate enough to only have to move 2-3 times at most. They can have a relatively normal childhood with roots and lifelong friends they knew since grade school. These children are precious in ways that can’t be described, and they bring the beauty of civilian culture where it can be easily forgotten.
Multi-Stationed Military Children are unique. Where their parents received training & preparations, these children received humility. Moving every 1-3 years, their perspective is fundamentally different and shaped by the military bases where they were born and raised, or influenced by.
These children begin life in the DODEA. The Department of Defense Education Activity operates over 100 Schools in 11 Foreign Countries across 10 time zones. The curriculum is strict but the teachers are amongst the best, and represent aunts and uncles that are often forgotten. These help guide the children in advanced linguistics, and forge them to be studious and respectful.
The Dandelion was selected as the official flower of Military Brats, and when you read why you won’t be surprised. No matter where they are, they bring the hope of the Armed Forces with them in perhaps the most nostalgic ways.
The great thing about dandelions is that, even though they are considered a “weed”, they do not take nutrients from their surroundings. Dandelions do not dare to be the submissive plant, nor the dominant plant. They live as equals in their surroundings. Look at the grass around the dandelion. Is it not just as green as it was before? The grass and the dandelion live side by side. When a dandelion is plucked and a wish is made as the seeds are tenderly blown, the seeds float on the wind, finding a new home. There, the seeds find a new home and flourish, living side by side with their new neighbors. Only a dandelion can understand another dandelion and the journey the dandelion has been on. That is the Military Brat. And it is why we adopted the dandelion as the official flower of Brats. Military Brats know what other Brats endure and feel. Only Brats understand. No matter how many degrees a civilian holds, the Military Brat life is one that one MUST live…MUST experience to fully understand. Brats will, like we were trained, help other Brats…unnoticed and unheralded. After all, it is our “job”.
— Rae Shue Blalack
If you aren’t a military child, it’s important to not assume, and you won’t be dissappointed in it. These children are voyagers at birth, if empowered to understand their surroundings, they bring great value wherever they are. Although their animal mascot has been denoted The Chameleon, they aren’t well adept at blending in at all. It’s part of what makes them special, whether they join the service later on or not. These children stand apart in humble ways that are all they truly know.
If a military child can bring a smile to your face, you deserved that smile. They have unique boundaries, and give that same consideration in abundance without it needing to be requested or sought after. They will certainly make mistakes, but the military will be with them to hold them accountable and help them to understand the best path they should take.
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SOV WILCO: Support Our Veterans
Welcome to SOV WILCO, a military centered non-profit organization bringing awareness to Veteran issues in America while uplifting its citizens.
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Important Information
SOV WILCO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization