Most Americans’ knowledge about the military stems from popular culture, such as movies like “Cadet Kelly” with a young Hilary Duff, service members in uniform at televised football games or news stories remembering fallen men and women. Americans know even less, however, about the military family as a whole.
Here are five basic truths from a life-long Marine brat.
Obviously, my mom, sister and I don’t ship off to Iraq or Afghanistan with my dad and serve his deployments with him. Nor do we wake up at 3 a.m. to hike up a mountain with fifty pounds of gear strapped on our backs. However, when one person joins the military, his or her family must make sacrifices as well.
The family typically moves with their loved one as often as every year. This means that children need to change schools and make new friends and, if working, the spouse needs to find a new job. When loved ones are deployed, families must also function as a single-parent household for over a year at a time.
READ MORE: Women in Combat Boots: Marching Through a Brief History of Women in the Military
When I tell people my dad is a Marine, people often ask, “Does he make you call him ‘Sir’ at home? Or do push ups and burpees when you misbehave?” The truth is that military parents are no different than most parents at home. Each has his or her own method of discipline, preferred nicknames and “code” for family members to follow. Many times, though, I’ve found that military parents like to leave their work at work as much as possible; one set of fellow service members to is enough to oversee.
Not all military parents want their children to enlist in the armed forces. Personally, while I respect my father’s job and the work every service member does to keep America safe, the military isn’t calling my name – and he is just fine with that. Like with any career, while some children might be drawn to their parents’ occupations to “carry on the family name,” not every military brat wants to fill their parent’s combat boots.
READ MORE: 9 Things Veterans Want Every Civilian to Know
Relationships between siblings are typically complex and vary greatly between families. However, countless moves and plenty of school years as the “new kid” often turn military siblings into lifelines. As for my little sister and I, we always knew that we had each other no matter where we lived. A public service announcement to all civilians: Be careful if you pick on a military kid. If he or she has siblings, they are likely close and possibly trained in combat.
I wouldn’t call anyone who has ever enlisted in the military a member of my family, but service does create a special bond between those involved. Service members and families unite for special events like annual balls or summer BBQs at the beach. They inquire about each other’s next orders (where he or she will move) and share tips on adjusting or deployments.
READ MORE: 4 Countries With Mandatory Military Service for Men and Women
I always love it when I introduce myself as a Marine brat and a stranger responds, “Me too.” This implies that he or she knows the truth about military families. Knowing these basic truths, hopefully you now “get” military families too.
