Brats!!

[itsbob]

My brother shared this with me a couple of years back, and if you're not a Military Brat, you either don't get it, or you just don't understand..

"Military Brats

The average brat attends 10 schools in 12 years - some move as many as 36 times. They have no "hometowns" to go back to and rarely know their extended families. When they turn 18 or graduate from college, their ID cards are taken away, so they can't go back to the military bases they grew up on. Even if they did, there's no one there who knows them anymore.

One of the positive effects of this lifestyle is brats learn to get along with anybody, from anywhere. They can move and take risks. They're not afraid of change. At the same time, some brats become "change junkies" and can't settle down. Others have difficulties with intimacy, and lack a consistent sense of self."

Whenever I feel "melancholy" it usually relates to pictures of others.. I went to my facebook page "I grew up in Derry NH..." and the only reason I REALLY relate to Derry is because that's where I graduated High School, I REALLY didn't grow up there, or anywhere else for that matter.. But when I see pictures of people from their childhood with friends they grew up with, and still know today.. yeah.. that gets to the root of the problem.

I can remember people I went to Elementary School, Middle School, Junior High, and even High School.. Most of these people I knew for 2 or less years, and it was time to move on. Even family.. Cousins? I got to get to know them when my dad was either in Vietnam or Korea and we went to Ct or NH to be near family. Dad returns (and thank GOD he returned EVERY time), and off we'd go to the corners of the planet. As you can imagine, family of 5, in the 60 and 70's stationed in Germany, you didn't come home on vacation, you stayed there for the entire three years (or more) until the Military moved you back.

BUT I would bet, not many kids had their first birthday on a troop ship, or went on school field trips to the Neuschwanstein Castle.. or Trier, to see Roman Ruins..

I love my life, my past, present and future, but I know I've missed out on somethings, while I've enjoyed a lot of things that if you weren't a military brat you have no idea.

I don't regret any of it, but at the same time am happy that for the most part my kids don't really remember "Army Life" or having to move every two or three years. They've lived a few places, but generally have had fairly stable childhoods.. Youngest daughter actually got to go from 4th grade through High School in Calvert..

Anyways.. Just in the mood.. I need a beer.. a good GERMAN beer!

 

[Bann]

 

[Lurk]

At a Marine Base near you

 

[Rommey]

I guess my daughters are just the opposite type of military brat. My oldest was born in Oklahoma when I was stained there. We moved to here in 1983 when I got stationed at Andrews. My youngest daughter was born here and both girls still live here (in the D.C. area).

The oldest went to 1 elementary school, one middle school and 1 high school. The youngest was basically the same except she went to two different elementary schools.

My only assignment after getting to Andrews was to Spain and I went unaccompanied, due to just having bought our house. If we hadn't just bought, I would have loved to taken them there as it was a good place to be assigned.

So being a military brat doesn't always equate to constant moving.

 

[Bann]

The Call to Colors.

I was at one of the local HS this fall, when the Colors were being raised. Not one other soul in the parking lot or front of the school stopped to face The Colors, except me. Oh, well. I do it anyway.

 

[Retrodeb54]

Thank you for sharing, it was a great read.

While I'm not a military brat, when growing up my Uncle was a aircraft mechanic at AAFB, so we spent a lot of time there and I lived within a five minute walk of Boiling. Even went to girl scouts there. So many of my friends were 'brats'. Since I had never been anywhere (still haven't sadly)I found their stories, pictures and souvenirs fascinating. Sometimes the good-byes were tough but it seems for the most part they were used to it and looked forward to a new adventure. Had some great pen-pals for years too.

 

[StadEMS3]

Good read. I was a Coast Guard brat, born in Nanortalik, Greenland. I moved all over the place growing up. So this story is very true to me. I never made strong friends because I knew I'd be moving again. I was used to that life and when I was old enough I joined the Air Force. No kids for me though.. Retired 3 years ago after 22yrs.

 

[Giantone]

My brother shared this with me a couple of years back, and if you're not a Military Brat, you either don't get it, or you just don't understand..

"Military Brats

The average brat attends 10 schools in 12 years - some move as many as 36 times. They have no "hometowns" to go back to and rarely know their extended families. When they turn 18 or graduate from college, their ID cards are taken away, so they can't go back to the military bases they grew up on. Even if they did, there's no one there who knows them anymore.

One of the positive effects of this lifestyle is brats learn to get along with anybody, from anywhere. They can move and take risks. They're not afraid of change. At the same time, some brats become "change junkies" and can't settle down. Others have difficulties with intimacy, and lack a consistent sense of self."

Whenever I feel "melancholy" it usually relates to pictures of others.. I went to my facebook page "I grew up in Derry NH..." and the only reason I REALLY relate to Derry is because that's where I graduated High School, I REALLY didn't grow up there, or anywhere else for that matter.. But when I see pictures of people from their childhood with friends they grew up with, and still know today.. yeah.. that gets to the root of the problem.

I can remember people I went to Elementary School, Middle School, Junior High, and even High School.. Most of these people I knew for 2 or less years, and it was time to move on. Even family.. Cousins? I got to get to know them when my dad was either in Vietnam or Korea and we went to Ct or NH to be near family. Dad returns (and thank GOD he returned EVERY time), and off we'd go to the corners of the planet. As you can imagine, family of 5, in the 60 and 70's stationed in Germany, you didn't come home on vacation, you stayed there for the entire three years (or more) until the Military moved you back.

BUT I would bet, not many kids had their first birthday on a troop ship, or went on school field trips to the Neuschwanstein Castle.. or Trier, to see Roman Ruins..

I love my life, my past, present and future, but I know I've missed out on somethings, while I've enjoyed a lot of things that if you weren't a military brat you have no idea.

I don't regret any of it, but at the same time am happy that for the most part my kids don't really remember "Army Life" or having to move every two or three years. They've lived a few places, but generally have had fairly stable childhoods.. Youngest daughter actually got to go from 4th grade through High School in Calvert..

Anyways.. Just in the mood.. I need a beer.. a good GERMAN beer!

This helps me understand my wife a little better .....she was the "Brat" and it helps me see what my grandsons are going threw now.

 

[b23hqb]

Evening Colors. Sunset on every Navy/Marine Corps base. I loved it as a sailor, still very melancholy to me whenever I hear it.

I grew up as an Army brat, and at 1700 Post, everybody stopped what they were doing - sports, driving, outside, whatever - and faced to the main flagpole. Great traditions never get old, and hopefully never fade away.

 

[itsbob]

This helps me understand my wife a little better .....she was the "Brat" and it helps me see what my grandsons are going threw now.

The change junkies part I really relate to..

I was in PA for about 6 years (the longest by far, that I'd been in one place to that point) finishing up my Army career, and getting a degree, and at about 4.5 years I started getting the itch.. I HAD to go, had to move.

I came from PA to here 9 years ago, and I've noticed I made it without getting the itch this time. No desire to move, guess I'm finally ready to actually grow roots.

At the age of 40(ish) I made major changes to my life.. changed careers (drastically), went back to school, and now a few years later I'm still thinking of what else I want to do. I'd love to find a professional vocation that I can do part time.. like Electrician, Plumber, Mechanic of Carpenter.

I just don't think my adventures are quite done yet. I think this is part of being a Brat. I just can't sit still, need to constantly be moving forward, doing something different.

 

[BadGirl]

If you decide to move, it will likely be without me. You know that, right?

But depending on the location, I could be persuaded to move, too.

 

[nomoney]

The change junkies part I really relate to..

I was in PA for about 6 years (the longest by far, that I'd been in one place to that point) finishing up my Army career, and getting a degree, and at about 4.5 years I started getting the itch.. I HAD to go, had to move.

I came from PA to here 9 years ago, and I've noticed I made it without getting the itch this time. No desire to move, guess I'm finally ready to actually grow roots.

At the age of 40(ish) I made major changes to my life.. changed careers (drastically), went back to school, and now a few years later I'm still thinking of what else I want to do. I'd love to find a professional vocation that I can do part time.. like Electrician, Plumber, Mechanic of Carpenter.

I just don't think my adventures are quite done yet. I think this is part of being a Brat. I just can't sit still, need to constantly be moving forward, doing something different.

Navy brat here and totally get the needing to change itch that still pops up. Getting ready to redo our entire house again and we've only been living in it for a little over 2 years now; But that itch is there and you can only move the sofa around so many times

But I love that I get to tell my kids about real life experiences from moving so much and seeing the world. I can show them actual pics of Anne Franks house and real castles while they're studying different things at school and they think thats the neatest thing.

 

[SamSpade]

Navy brat here, although a lot of my moving had little to do with being moved - sometimes it was just upward mobility or a plant closing or Dad switching jobs or career. But I get the moving thing. I graduated from a high school that I only spent senior year in. I never spent more than two years (continuously) at any one school (2.5 non-continuous). Until I was 35, I never lived in any one location more than four years, and that happened twice. Typical length was one year - sometimes, it was weeks or months.

I remember observing the whole adaptability characteristic even when I was in grade school - but by the time I was an adult, I envied the people who had had friends since childhood that they still knew. I could barely *REMEMBER* kids I went to school with as a child. (Thanks to Facebook, I've found them again). I certainly want my children to have that.

Same thing with cousins, but that, I'm not going to be able to do anything with my kids on that - most of my cousins on my mother's side all have known each other all of their lives, and THEIR children are all friends, and by now there are dozens of them. Most of my extended family have wandered far and wide - maybe a consequence of the same wanderlust. They too have uprooted often. While my parents have now lived in the same house for twenty years - and easily ten in the house before that - none of my siblings have stayed put for more than five.

I know the feeling.

 

[chernmax]