Month of the Military Child
MC Perry HS, Ms. Sullivan, 9th Grade
By
MC Perry High School April 25, 2026
Ms. Sullivan’s 9th grade class
MC Perry High School April 25, 2026
(Drawing by Nikolai/MC Perry HIgh School)
Submission for Month of the Military Child by Ms. Sullivan’s 9th graders.
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Jayce Brown
I never lived on a military base until I was in 7th grade when I went to be with my dad in Bahrain. I was there for one year. While living there, I met lots of really nice friends and started playing basketball. Because of the opportunities that I had there, my basketball skills improved tremendously. My team went 6-0 on the year and brought back the trophy. During this run, we practiced with the 15U boys who went 5-1 and only lost one game to the only other American school (American School of Bahrain). After the season, everyone on the teams transferred to other schools. Being in that environment made me fall in love with basketball, and now it’s going to be a sport I want to play for as long as possible. Now I live in Iwakuni, Japan. But the best thing about being a military kid is that I never lose touch with my friends because I get to travel with my current team. For example, I recently travelled to Yokosuka, and I met a friend from the team in Bahrain. It felt like a full-circle moment. It also feels really cool to think about my friends from Bahrain. For example, I can think of my friend Kyle, who lives in Thailand. I also think of my two friends, Jerell and Jaylin, who are in Georgia. My last example is my friend Luca, who is in France. It’s very cool that I have friends all across the world. In conclusion, being a military student has many positives, such as traveling the world and meeting different types of people. Unfortunately, it does have a few negative aspects. Moving away from the home where my heart is and making a new home in another country.
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Maxim Byers
Being a military child has shaped my life in many ways, especially through moving. When I was 3 years old, I moved from Alaska to Japan. I was too young to remember much, but it was the start of a life full of change. In 2018, I moved to California, where I had to adjust to a new place, new school, and new friends. Then in 2021, I moved back to Japan again. Moving so much hasn’t always been easy. Leaving friends behind is one of the hardest parts. Just when I get comfortable, it feels like everything changes again. But because of this, I’ve learned how to make new friends quickly and not be afraid of new situations. Living in both the United States and Japan has given me unique experiences. I’ve seen different cultures, tried new foods, and learned how people live in different parts of the world. These experiences have made me more open-minded and understanding. Being a military child also means making sacrifices. There are times when my family has to deal with long separations or big changes. Even though it’s hard, it has made my family stronger and closer. Overall, being a military child has made me more independent and adaptable. Even though moving can be difficult, it has helped me grow into a stronger person, and I’m proud of the life I’ve lived.
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Tommy Coker Jr
My life as a military child is good and full of opportunities and great friendships. Throughout my life I lived in Japan and California. I was born in Naha Okinawa in October 2010 and lived there until I was about 2 years old. We then moved to America for the first time. I lived in San Diego where my family and I were stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. While living there, I was introduced to many opportunities to participate in sports which then led to building many friendships. I started playing soccer and basketball when I was 6 years old for the Youth Programs in the area. I liked playing sports because of the friendships I made when interacting with other people on the team. I got lucky and moved an hour away stationed in Miramar but went to a different school. In 3rd grade I stopped taking open opportunities of playing sports and when I finally decided to take open opportunities, Covid-19 Occurred shutting everything down around me. I didn’t play sports for the next couple of years until I was in 6th grade. Then I moved to Japan, I wanted to play basketball more and I started to make friends along the way because of the opportunities here. Then in 7th grade, my Dad introduced me to track, I wasn’t really open to it because it was something new and not familiar with but I enjoyed doing it again in my 8th grade Year. I think being a military child is a great feeling having many opportunities in different activities. I also think you grow mentally stronger by letting go of Friendships but gaining new Friendships.
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Jaden Colar
It’s Really Not That Hard
“Being a military child is not that hard.”
The biggest thing they all try to tell me until they experience the hardships of family, friends, and the emotional battles that you constantly need to face. When my mom tells me, “It’s easy, you’ll make new friends”, I always sit there and think, Yeah, when I move and have to start it all over again. But, they still say…
“Being a military child is not that hard.”
Until you are face-to-face with your loved ones, saying goodbye for months
Just praying that they will make it back alive, or for your birthday in time. I mean, Dad, look how much I’ve grown, the birthdays you’ve missed, the tears I shed because you weren’t there. My school talent show, which I won, the one where you couldn’t even see me walk onto the stage and take 1st place. And all they have to say is….
“Being a military child is not that hard.”
I pleaded with them to silence their voices and listen to my own, because being a military child is not easy. Yes, there are perks, and yes, it does hurt. Those service members sacrifice their lives for their families, even knowing that they cannot be in their children’s lives all the time. So yes, being a military child is really just that hard. Even though I love being one, and to think that if I weren’t, I would not have met the amazing friends, teachers, and people in my community that I have around me.
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Noah Dobbs
The life of a military child can be hard for some but many others enjoy it. For me, being a military child was tough at times but I eventually learned to enjoy it. The hard parts are moving a lot and having to make new friends after you have already had good ones. I used to have really good friends in Virginia but had to say goodbye to them because we were moving to Japan. Another challenge for military children is that either their dad or mom goes away for deployment and being separated from a parent is hard. It is also hard because I don’t get to see my American family often since we moved. When we first got to Iwakuni we had to live at the TLF for a month which is like living in a hotel. It felt crowded and our luggage didn’t arrive until a few weeks later which was a negative because sometimes having something familiar makes me feel at home. But then we got a house off base and I started to feel okay. Later I started 6th grade which was not so bad because I made friends pretty quickly and started to understand how things worked in DoDEA schools.
When we moved to Japan, I also realized it would not be too bad because I am half Japanese. This means that I also have a Japanese family over here as well. I discovered that there are a lot of opportunities like traveling to different countries, meeting new people, and maybe moving somewhere that would be cool to explore.
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Tiffany Frey
A New Chapter
As a little kid, being a military child never really bothered me. I was too young to make close connections and therefore moving was not a big deal. If anything, I was excited to make new friends and live in a new house. Now that I’m older, I dread leaving for months before we move. I have made countless memories with my friends and within my house, and moving feels like leaving a piece of me behind. However, being older has also given me more perspective to changes. New schools mean new friends, and a new house means a new room to decorate. Every time I move, I close one chapter and open another. The future is filled with uncertainty but holds potential for so many new opportunities.
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Melissa Go
Throughout the years I’ve been a military child, which is my whole life, I’ve faced many challenges and uplifting moments, especially when living on a military base in a foreign country. But the best moments always shine more, which is why I’m grateful that I get to experience many cultures at once, which is a plus for being a military child. Being in a foreign country may be scary, but it’s nice to know that you’re not alone in adjusting to the culture. I feel that military bases are experts in offering opportunities to interact with the foreign countries. If I weren’t a military child, I don’t even think I’d be able to be surrounded by so many languages and lifestyles. I especially don’t think I would even be able to travel the world at all. I believe that being a military child offers many possibilities to be with other kinds of people, culture, and traditions. It creates a more open-minded mind and an outgoing personality, a sort of person that’s not afraid to try different things.
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Ferdinand Hernandez
Next to an empty chair,
I gaze at the gate where the jetway waits.
My body feels dense,
Full with the burden I’m forced to carry
“Group 3 passengers to begin boarding”
The friends, families, memories
Gone, in an instant flash.
Pass scanned, new plans,
I have to board,
Setting my course abroad.
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Andrew Iliescu
My dad is part of the military as a chief. This means we get a lot of opportunities to have fun times. Although it is a hard time for him, and at times he’s out for several days, which does make me sad. But life does come out better than before he left.
I was born in Japan and lived there for a bit until my family had to move to Virginia. In Virginia, Dad was gone for most of the time. So it was just me, my mom, and my brother at home. My mom was crying because of hard times. After Virginia we moved to Rhode Island where life there was a significantly better place to live in. Dad was actually there with us during those times. We had fun in those times like going to movies, malls, and arcades. Then we moved back to Yokosuka Japan where I was from. It was also good there for a while. Then we temporarily went to Hawaii. Although that move was for reasons other than fun, I enjoyed it there.
Later we went back to Yokosuka, which I still miss, because we moved to Iwakuni. It is my second year living here in Iwakuni. I get to go places like Hiroshima a lot. I also get to cross the famous Kintai Bridge and get chances to go to Fukuoka and Sasebo. We also occasionally drive to the mountain area, and I get to see a scenic tour. I am doing great here overall.
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Sophia Kelley
One of the last times before I moved was in Washington State, I was sparring with my friends in the gym. After my Dad retired from the military, I’d expected that we would stop moving around so much and I would finally be able to make long term friendships; and in other words, for the first time, I felt grounded. Unexpectedly, my father had found a job offer in Iwakuni, Japan, and we were set to move somewhere around October.
After I’d moved to Iwakuni, the time difference between Japan and the states was too immense to consistently keep in touch with my old friends and we slowly grew apart from each other. And even though we are staying in Iwakuni for an indefinite period of time, I can’t say the same for other people in my community, and I feel that I’m still unable to create long-term friendships with people I tend to gravitate towards.
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of people I enjoyed being around and shared many fond memories with, and sometimes I find myself trying my best to keep in touch with them even when it’s obvious our relationship is slowly coming to an end. However, there’s a Chinese saying “有缘千里来相会” (Yǒuyuán qiānlǐ lái xiānghuì), which translates to: “If fated, people will meet a thousand miles apart.” This saying means that people come into your life because fate brings them there, often to teach you something valuable, and that I’ve learned to appreciate the time that you shared together and the experiences and lessons they brought with them.
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Ka’Leila Lark
Sigh move and move and move again, always starting all over again. As a military brat I never get to stay anywhere long enough to exactly call home. I was born in a place, but grew up in another. Which do I call home? As a military brat I never stay long enough to have a best friend for life or friends since kindergarten. I wanna go into high school with friends I’ve known since kindergarten. I wanna have a crush that I have liked since 6th grade. I wanna be considered as an original member. As a military brat I can have a fresh start every couple years. I can be the nerdy girl, who studies real hard and gets all A’s. I can be the athletic girl, who plays every sport and gets medals for the team. I can be the troublemaker, who spits spitballs, and pulls people’s underwear. As a military child I traveled around the world. I have been to Florida, with long dry summers, and cold dry winters. I have been to Texas, with long sweaty summers and short frosty winters. I have been to Virginia Beach, with short sunny summers, and long snowy winters. As a military brat I can dress differently, with every new start. I can be a goth glam girl, a sports glam girl, a soft glam girl, or just a bum. I could talk to whoever I wanted to, with me moving in a couple years. I could ask out anyone I thought was cute with me moving in a couple years. Why feel fear!? Why feel sadness!? Why feel angry!? When it’s all going away when you’re moving away. Why care what anyone has to say when it’s all going away when you’re moving far, far, far away?
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Amelia Lietzan
All military related children share some universal experiences. All of these military “brats” know how it feels to make new friends. You make every friendship wondering when it’s going to end since one of you is bound to move. Everything has an expiration date, every connection, everything you care about is never guaranteed. All the last second deployments, school changes, and moves are nothing new to a military child. The word we know best is goodbye. We all say goodbye knowing this could be the last time we see each other and that all we will be are old memories. Someone will move away and make new friends as another has to stay and try and make new connections. Rooms full of old photos and notes from friends past and present trying to make the memories last. Hours spent in airports waving a final goodbye.
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Malaki Maestas
In March 2023, my dad was deployed for the first time. What made it worse was that he was getting deployed to the Middle East. At that point in time, there was a war going on. I had to trust in God that he was going to keep my dad safe. Saying goodbye to him was the saddest thing of the whole adventure. My baseball community made sure I was feeling good. One of my coaches, Coach Scott Nicolous got my number and told me that if I need anything just call him up so we can play baseball together. Having that safety when my dad was gone was so fun. I looked up to my dad’s friends as my protectors. My coach, Coach Jason Carpenter was my coach during baseball and I had like 5 close friends on the team. Thinking back on it, I couldn’t be more blessed to have those kinds of people in my life. God knew what he was doing with putting those people in my life!
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Keegan Marcy
My life as a military child is really fun because I get to experience more than the average kid. I have lived in many places in the United States and Japan, which has given me opportunities like trying amazing new foods and playing different sports. Living on base is like being in a mini city even in another country. Everyone knows each other and there are hangout spots like the Crossroads food court and the Exchange. There are multiple neighborhoods for me to go to and each neighborhood usually has a park or a basketball court where I can meet up with my friends. Here in Japan, I feel really safe and my parents never have to worry about me. But there are also a few downsides to being a military child. For example, when my dad is deployed, I don’t get to see him for long periods of time and there’s always a possibility that he won’t come back at all. Also, most military kids like me are always moving to new places. While sometimes it is close to old friends, at other times I am even farther away like on different continents. Moving frequently makes it hard to make new friends because each school is different. Also, every time I move I have to wait for months at a time for my stuff to get to my new house. But even with the downsides, I still appreciate what I have.
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Gianni Medina
I had never unpacked a suitcase until I was fourteen. That was the year my family moved to Japan, and everything changed.
Before Japan, life felt good: same school, same friends, same neighborhood. Then my Step Dad received new orders, and suddenly we were crossing an ocean. I left behind my friends and my family, and the only house I had ever called home. When I came to Japan, it felt like stepping into a different world. The signs were in words I couldn’t read or understand. The food tasted weird and good at the same time and the voices around me sounded like a language I’ve never heard.
Starting high school here was tough. I was the new kid, trying to make friends while figuring out bell schedules. I missed my old life so much. I learned to navigate bus stations, saw Cherry Blossoms for the first time, the weather was nice, and even loved all the gas stations because all the food was so fresh.
The hardest part is still the distance. Our family is asleep when I’m awake because of the time zones. When my step dad deploys, Mom stays strong for us, and I try to do the same helping with chores, encouraging my younger siblings, and keeping a brave face during video calls. Being a military child means saying goodbye more often than most people my age.
Japan showed me that change can be nice. The cherry blossoms remind me that even after the hardest seasons, something new and lovely can bloom. I’m kind of proud to be a military child. It has made me stronger, more open, and ready for whatever comes next.
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Kai Nichols
The life of a military child is filled with struggle in regard to their relationships with family, and friends. When you aren’t able to stay in one place for more than a few years, you end up never being able to form lasting connections with your peers. Even on the occasions that you stay in one place for a long time, having to move means breaking relationships that have been in place even longer. Further, unlike most people who can live close to their extended family and are able to easily meet up with people such as their grandparents, a military child is frequently not even in the same country as their extended family. But above all, a military child can have problems connecting with their military parent. When your parent can be gone for months on deployment to the point that they miss important events in your life such as a birthday, it can be difficult to form a connection with them.
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Samantha Pardue
Move from place to place.
Make memories at each stop.
Never forget why.
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Alana Patron
Being a military kid has its pros and cons, at least from my experience. I can’t really say I wish I had a normal life because being a military kid is the only thing I’ve ever known; that is my normal. Yet I can say I wish for a life with stability. I wish I had friends that I grew up with and a singular home that I was able to grow up in.
I am grateful though. I get to travel the world, see new cultures, and meet people I maybe would’ve never met had I stayed in the same state all my life. I’ve gotten used to always moving. When I’m in a place for too long, I get tired really quickly, the people get annoying, and the area gets repetitive. Around that time, I’m pretty excited to move. Even though I kind of hate moving, I also feel like it’s what I’m used to.
I think we as people ask and wish for what we don’t have, but when we get it, we eventually wish again for what we used to have.
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Dior Payne
You’re sitting at the door, your mind feels poor,
The same old boxes by the floor
Waiting just to see where you guys are going next at the airport,
Thinking about your friends, wondering if you will ever see them again,
You’re sitting there, alack wanting to go back,
It’s the same every time as a military child
Where will we go? I don’t know,
I need a style.
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Anthony Ramos Cintron
Maybe I don’t like talking too much about my day
But you should’ve told me you guys were thinking about moving away
You work your way
or maybe it’s because you don’t wanna do it my way
Or its that you stopped liking me since I got here, but now your here
I know i’m not like this, when things don’t go how I wanted
Your waiting for me to face it, and now I am
But I ran out of happiness that I had, now suddenly
You’re acting like nothing happened, can you tell me where you got the idea?
Yeah, you say you never miss home, but you don’t really care how bad its hurts
When you left me out of it, left me out
Still taking a while to be happy, once we moved away
But you moved on faster than the earth could revolve the sun,
I swear I would stare at my phone just to see what I was missing,
But now that I’ve seen all, I don’t really know what to feel
You know I was never like this, when I was little you cared a lot
And now, you act like nothing happened, but now I don’t care what you think
Now suddenly, I have new experiences I’ve never had
Could you tell me what would have happened if I stayed back
Yeah, now I could say I love my new friends, but it doesn’t really matter to you
When I have to forget about the old ones, the old ones
Why did I think I would stay? Why did I think I had that future?
The old you would never want this, cause we all know thats true
Now suddenly you act like you care, could you tell me why you replaced home,
Yeah, I may say I like this new place, but deep down you don’t care
If I want the old place back, the old place back, my original home.
Maybe I don’t like talking too much about my day
But you should’ve told me you guys were thinking about moving away
You work your way
or maybe it’s because you don’t wanna do it my way
Or its that you stopped liking me since I got here, but now your here
I know i’m not like this, when things don’t go how I wanted
Your waiting for me to face it, and now I am
But I ran out of happiness that I had, now suddenly
You’re acting like nothing happened, can you tell me where you got the idea?
Yeah, you say you never miss home, but you don’t really care how bad its hurts
When you left me out of it, left me out
Still taking a while to be happy, once we moved away
But you moved on faster than the earth could revolve the sun,
I swear I would stare at my phone just to see what I was missing,
But now that I’ve seen all, I don’t really know what to feel
You know I was never like this, when I was little you cared a lot
And now, you act like nothing happened, but now I don’t care what you think
Now suddenly, I have new experiences I’ve never had
Could you tell me what would have happened if I stayed back
Yeah, now I could say I love my new friends, but it doesn’t really matter to you
When I have to forget about the old ones, the old ones
Why did I think I would stay? Why did I think I had that future?
The old you would never want this, cause we all know thats true
Now suddenly you act like you care, could you tell me why you replaced home,
Yeah, I may say I like this new place, but deep down you don’t care
If I want the old place back, the old place back, my original home.
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Nathaniel C. Reust
I remember my first time moving to Japan. I watched people pack up my house, my room was just an empty space. We stayed in a Navy Lodge for weeks, waiting for our plane. We left our dogs and got on the plane. The plane ride was one of the longest 12 hours of my life. When we first got to our house, it was small; it was different. I had never lived in a place with people this close. On the first day, I remember seeing about 10 kids my age playing on the street. From that moment they were my friends until the day I moved. I would go out and play with them every day until the streetlights turned on. We would play basketball, baseball, tag- every game we could think of-until I had to move again. I remember thinking, “Is the next place going to be the same?” Now, coming back to Japan on the same old base, I pass my old street seeing a new group of kids playing. This place never changes and it never has. Same theme with a new group of kids.
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Eliseo Rodriguez
A Saving Grace
For me, being a child in the military sometimes feels like I’m being saved from something terrible. Almost as if I’m being tortured for eternity, but all of a sudden a giant god picks me up and takes me away to somewhere nicer. I think this feeling came up when I moved back to America. My father received orders to return there, which meant we all had to move. It wasn’t very fun. I had lost all my relationships and had to start over. It was very difficult for me. On my first day there, I was just introduced as a kid from Japan. Nobody really paid attention to me, everyone just looked at me for a few seconds and moved on with their day. It wasn’t until later in the school year when the worst came. One day, I decided to express an interest of mine. People heard this and thought it was weird. Apparently, it was so weird to them that they felt the need to bully me for the rest of my time there. People called me names, talked about me behind my back. They spread rumors that just weren’t true. It hurt me. For a while, I found it very hard to be happy there. Not even the teachers helped me, they just acknowledged it and did nothing. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just gave up trying and let them mistreat me.
But then, a saving grace occurred.
It was almost a miracle. Probably one of the happiest moments of my time there. Dad got orders back to Japan. It was as if the hands of the military picked me up from my state of melancholy and took me away. Granted, my life was much better when I moved back here.
It’s moments like these that make me glad to be a military child.
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Mikai Rossiter
Floating through the air
Purple Flowers Everywhere
Always Strong and Brave
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Elijah Seay
Boxes by the door
New skies but same old goodbyes
Home moves, love stays still
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Olivia Thomas
Growing
Being a military child is an opportunity many of us are blessed with. Although some people may not realize it in our moments, we are gifted with the chance to make new friends, memories, visit places, learn new languages, and try new foods. I’m so grateful that I am one of many that are gifted with the chance of being a military child. Despite the fact that people think about it negatively, moving and meeting new people is a great part of life that one day, we will all have to do. There are many perks of being a military child, including learning how to socialize at a young age, experiencing different cultures, learning new languages, meeting new people, making great memories and visiting beautiful places.
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Emma Whitead
Changing schools.
Changing friends.
Changing houses.
Changing cars.
Changing routines.
The military is full of changes that not only service members have to go through, but also their families. A military child’s life is full of changes, but not all are bad.
Changing currencies.
Changing countries
Changing cultural foods
Changing environments.
The same way the seasons change everything about a military child’s life could to and in the blink of an eye. All of these changes could be good if you just look at it the right way.
Changing perspectives.
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Evelyn-Rae Yocum
There are many challenges when being a military child because of being apart from family members and being apart from friends who don’t stay long-term. This also comes along with opportunities that let you travel the world and make new friends, which is the upside, meaning even if you lose some friends, you make new ones. Being away from family is even harder. There are times when you can’t even visit them because of how far you are, like being in Japan while they are in Virginia. I would like to thank the people who serve our country and support our nation, no matter what. Thank you.