As the proud son of an Army veteran, and an Army father myself, I know exactly what it means to grow up in a military family. It's a life that comes with a cost and a duty. 

Every April, we recognize the nearly two million of America’s most resilient children. These kids wake up and miss parents who are deployed, they change schools mid-year, make new friends, and figure out how to feel at home in places they've never been. And they do it again and again, with the understanding that they are a part of something much bigger.

This year’s Month of the Military Child theme is “Strength in Every Story”  with a full calendar.

Among the millions of military children, each carries a story of unrealized challenges and experiences uniquely their own. They should get the chance to tell their story, and the MCEC Call for the Arts program is one way to do that. It’s an annual competition for military children with the opportunity to reflect on what being a part of a military family is like. These kids have parents stationed across the world in every branch. Some have lost loved ones, some want to grow up and serve themselves, and some spend most of their lives outside of the United States. All of these stories matter. 

I’m proud to recognize April as Month of the Military Child. These kids serve too in ways that are too often overlooked. 

MORE RESOURCES:

• Operation Homefront

• Military OneSource

• Military Child Education Coalition