Military Brats (Military kids)

Here is a little discussed but widespread culture-- people who who grew up in military families (and grew up moving all the time).

Military brats (children of career military families) move between 8 and 25 times growing up.

Like me!

The question "Where are you from?" is a complicated one for us.

Any other ex-military brats? Feel free to post!

P.S. What was your favorite military base (or post or station) that you lived at / near?

OR-- your favorite favorite town / city / country that you lived in?

I'm a squid's kid and I moved a total of 9 times by the time I was 16.

The question "where are you from?" I answer, I was born in __________.

Why are they called brats?

Wiki Link

A "military brat" (and various brat derivatives)[1] is a term for a person whose parent or parents have served full-time in the armed forces during the person's childhood. In conventional usage, the word "brat" used alone may be pejorative; in modern, especially American, usage, however, "military brat" is often not considered to be a derogatory term (and may in fact be seen as a term of endearment).[2][dead link][3] The term is used in several English-speaking countries, especially Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom; but it is in the United States in particular that this term is ascribed to a collectively identifiable demographic (with extensive psychological research done on the group by the United States Department of Defense).[4] Accordingly, this group is shaped by frequent moves, absence of a parent, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, threat of parental loss in war, and a militarized family unit.[5] While non-military families share many of these same attributes, military culture is unique due to the tightly knit communities that perceive these traits as normal. Military culture can have a long-term impact on children.[6]

Hi Squid's kid! 9 moves sounds just about right to me!

I was an Air Force brat, I wish we had been able to live near the water more!

Yes "Where are you from"!!! LOL! _______________________ is right!

Hi x_Laura_x!

The term "Military Brat" goes back to the British Empire.

'Brat' stands for "British Regiment Attached Traveler".

That meant kids who traveled along with armies (children of military wives or girlfriends).

The term then came to the USA 200 years ago.

In the USA there have been military brats for 200 years, in the UK, for hundreds of years more...

Thanks for posting that Golf Widow!

That Wiki article is great!

There is a documentary about military brats too.

It made me cry. (Bittersweet). But overall, I liked it.

Thanks Laureen for posting this thread!


Another fact-- in the USA alone there are 8 million former military brats...

It's always fun to find the other brats in a situation.

Hi,

Army brat here.
We moved about 10 times- not including school districts from off Post to on Post.
I enjoyed Okinawa the most. 8)

I had no idea the term brat came from this.

I grew up in a military family too! But I actually didnt move quite that many times. We moved three times while I was alive. My parents and brother ended up moving four times though because they lived in Dayton, OH, which was the first place my dad was stationed, before I was born. So I was born in Los Angeles, and also ended up living in Oklahoma City, northern Virginia (the DC metro area), and the Huntsville area in Alabama. I only actually lived on a base in Los Angeles, and I wasn't even 3 yet when we left and moved away to OK so I don't really remember it. But other than LA since I can't remember it well, I really enjoyed all the different places I lived. They were all so different so I'm glad I got to experience them all. I might say that Oklahoma City was my favorite if I had to pick one. I was pretty young when we lived there too, but I do remember some of it, plus I have been back to visit recently and I still really like it!

Marine brat here. Moved to a different state 10 or 11 (maybe even 12 or 13) times. Don't even remember which schools I went to. Someone I met in the early 70's in Los Angeles had NEVER been out of the Los Angeles County , she was 26 years old! Blew me away!
Since I was born in the Corps moving just seemed natural. Longest we ever stayed in one place was 2 years, shortest 3 months.
The best thing about moving so often was learning about people, accepting different cultures and how others lived. I remember talking with someone and he was talking about 'ghetto people' in his terms meaning 'black'. He had never seen a 'white ghetto'. I couldn't convince him that every race, country has ghettos! Damn bigot.
Learning the social standards in different areas of the US pretty much rounded me out on the acceptance of social norms. You have to kind of sit back when you get to a place watch how things are.
It can be quite a culture shock too. Went from 'laid back' California to 'prim and proper' Virginia and the 'no problem, who cares' Hawaii!
What I missed, but didn't realize until I was older, was friendships. I never actually had what now is called 'BFF'. It's very difficult to get in that safe place, in my mind I ask why have a BFF someone is going to be gone soon so why bother.

I'm not a military brat but I've moved something like 24 times and lived in about 10 states. Do I count?

Not a military brat myself, but moved 5 times, do to my dad's work.

My hubby though, is a military brat. His family has moved 7 times.