Any one a military kid? Or were a military kid? Reason I ask is because I need quotes (yay!) for my article. All I want to know is how being a military kid may have changed something in your life or personality, and the experiences you may have had, and that sorta stuff. BTW, I was a military kid myself, my mom retired in Nov. of 2005 or Feb of 2006, one of the two.

Ooooh.. I could help. My mom retired recently as well! What branch? Aiiiiiir Force > all.

I am, my dad was in the RAF until a couple years ago. Don't know if that helps or not since I'm British and you might be looking for Americans...

Military=Military=Military.

WOOT! AIR FORCE ALL ZE WAY!

Anyway, pretty much what I would like to know is:
-Being a child of a military parent, did it effect you as an adult? (E.i. you become able to cope with emotional problems better, or more responsible)
-Do you think that military kids have to take more onto their shoulders than civilian kids?
-Did you travel and live outside the US(Or the UK for any brits)? And if so, did it introduce you into a new culture? What was it like to live somewhere new?


Erm...if you think of anything else you like to say about your experiences as a military kid, please tell me! I'd be happy to hear it and more than likely will put it in, since the ending of my article is rather optionish...since I'm a military brat talkin' about us brats.

1. I don't know if you could really call me an adult yet, as I can't vote... but no, I don't think anything about being a military kid made me more responsible or anything of the sort. And I still don't deal well with changes in my environment even though I had to move quite a bit and such.

2. Hmm, nope, not really. So little so that I can't work out why you're asking. Moving around with postings and such is a pain, but I don't think that if there's any extra responsibilities or difficulties or whatever it's the product of anything more than parents with a really stressful job...or something.

3. Yeah, I lived in Italy for a few years...and Ireland and France from time to time. When I lived in Italy it was on an RAF base, though, so I went to school with other English kids, but I travelled a lot more then to places like Naples, Rome (was going to go see the pope, but contracted mumps the day before ), and Potsuoli (and all I remember of that is eels gobbing at me from out of their tanks for some reason.) The culture was pretty different there though. Ireland was also in an RAF base and I didn't stay there long so nothing really different there. And the French are weird as everyone is already aware. I think I had something helpful to say as well but I forgot it now.

Is there anything about the military, that being a kid of a military parent, offers for military kiddos?

(Sadly I can't quote myself but) I feel that being in the military offers us one of the greatest things possible, and that's moving to a whole new culture and place. Most people, more or less Americans, don't ever go any where else, not to live at least, and just going to a place for a month or two doesn't give you a really good experience of that place. Living there for a year or two does. I think that military kiddos tend to be more open minded, or closed mined depending on the child, because they get to experience a new culture. From what I've seen, with other military kids, is that we tend to be more accepting of peoples' ways, instead of saying "OMG! He's such a fag!" Or "Eww, look at him, he's nasty." Or whatever. So um...yeah

Edit 1: Oh, and I don't I didn't give that great of questions, or that many...let me find my e-mail to my friend (Who should have moved her freakin' arse and got these to the other peeps who are military brats)

Edit 2: Here's a good question I think:
Have your parent(s)'s been deployed elsewhere, while you were left at
home? If so, how did it make you feel?

Hmm...I like to think I'm pretty accepting of other lifestyles (although there are some kinds of things I just don't like to think about that other people consider normal so that might disqualify me from being "tolerant"), but I don't know if that has anything to do with being a military kid so much as having a fairly accepting mum/relatives. I never figured living somewhere else for a couple years would really change your outlook in that way. (And my dad's makes pretty racist/crude comments from time to time even though he's not EXACTLY racist...so if I'm accepting I certainly didn't learn it from him.)

EDIT: Yeah. My mum has basically always been around me, but for a LONG time I'd only see my dad 3 nights a week if that, because he'd be up in Norfolk while I was down in Lincolnshire, or in different parts of Italy...and for 3 months he went to Bahrain and it was just me, my mum and my brother in the house. I think that's one of the main reasons I take after my mum rather than my dad: I rarely saw the latter when I was younger and more impressionable. I never really minded it, though, we weren't exactly closest friends ever, but I think it did make a major difference in how I grew up.

*chuckle* Thanks for the comments.

I'm bumping this because I edited my last post while you posted this so you might not have seen it.

Oh..and yeah..mind giving me your name or a nick name, so I don't have to put "Shiri" from Lusternia...

Did it affect me as an adult? You could say that, but I probably look more at the negatives than the positives. Like.. since I've moved so much it's much easier for me to say goodbye after making friendships (I've noticed this with a few other military kids too when I lived around the U.S.). I've found myself more open to other cultures than civilian kids I've gone to school with as well.

I don't know if military kids have to take more on their shoulders than civilians. If anything, depending where you're stationed at the time, I think there's a bit less to handle since you're usually situated on a base where everything is offered to you.

Well, I was born in the Philippines, but by the time I had started schooling we had already been transferred to California and I had forgotten what Filipino I knew as a little kid (I wanted to see if we could get a transfer to Japan a few years down the line, but noooo!). Moving around the United States though and experiencing the culture other people share is in experience in itself though. A lot of people rarely move from their home state until much later in their life (if ever) and I found that to be a privilege in itself. Kind of sucked losing friends though.

Uh, well.. aside from that.. what to say. I'll update if anything comes to mind.


(I really should just edit my other post, but nah!) Edit: Oooh.. it does it for you now!

Uh huh. Recently (before her retirement, actually) my mom was deployed to Kunsan AFB in Korea for half a year (Well, it was supposed to be a full year, but my sister apparently lost control of herself and started abusing stuff). At first it was kind of sad and a little awkward around without her, but she's been away before (not overseas) so I coped easily.

Edit.. again: Nickname? Michael if you just need a first name.

Need a last name too...
Oh! Sorry, didn't know that Shiri.

But I'll get stalked! Nooooo...

Michael Glenn. Uh.. don't really have a nickname worth quoting.

Well, that's your fault, you could have PM it to me.

BTW, my mom worked with a guy named Glenn, pretty freaky. Only his first name was Glenn.

Out of interest which base were you in in ireland?

My dad's in the Military, I'll later answer your questions.
Though a note, whenever my father went abroad for a year or 9 minths or so, we sent him and stayed at him. Bugger has to come back if he wants some family lovin'.

I dont really qualify as my dad had quit the miliatry by the time i came back

I don't know, if I remember I'll ask mum tomorrow morning to see if she remembers.

You're a bit late, Ash. Already turned in my final draft!