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"Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told teachers, school liaisons, program directors and other professionals that he wanted to have a “conversation” with them on the importance of supporting the military child.
Interacting with attendees in a question-and-answer format, the chairman and his wife, Deanie Dempsey -- who have three children and seven grandchildren -- began by emphasizing the need for good education.
“I think what makes us the strongest democracy in the world is education,” Dempsey said. “The strength of our democracy is education. There’s no question. In fact, it’s a precondition for democracy, I think.”
Deanie Dempsey said the education children get by being part of the military and moving around is “pretty significant,” adding that her family was in Germany when the wall that separated the former East and West Germany came down.
“How many kids can say they were there for that?” she asked.
The chairman also said it’s important for the nation to discuss how history will regard the men and women who have served in the last 10 to 12 years at war, and the audience should be aware of how that perception will impact the children of those veterans and service members.
“The image of the institution and the image of those who serve is also reflected on our children in how they represent this great country, this institution, in the schools in which they attend … and just [in] the way they carry themselves,” he said.
And while there are struggles at times, military children are “amazing kids,” Deanie Dempsey said.
She also stressed that parents must be advocates for their children, recalling the mother of a military child whose father was overseas. The boy wasn’t doing well in school. The staff researched the roster of students and found it had 13 military children of deployed parents. The staff formed a support group just for them, and the boy’s school experience turned from negative to positive.
“The more we reach out to them, the better off we all are,” added Deanie Dempsey, who earned a master’s degree in education.
The Dempseys said it’s also vital to stay positive for children’s well-being during a permanent change of station, which often take place in the summer months.
“But your children will reflect you. If you're positive about the move, they will be. If you're not ... they won't be,” the general said."
"Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told teachers, school liaisons, program directors and other professionals that he wanted to have a “conversation” with them on the importance of supporting the military child.
Interacting with attendees in a question-and-answer format, the chairman and his wife, Deanie Dempsey -- who have three children and seven grandchildren -- began by emphasizing the need for good education.
“I think what makes us the strongest democracy in the world is education,” Dempsey said. “The strength of our democracy is education. There’s no question. In fact, it’s a precondition for democracy, I think.”
Deanie Dempsey said the education children get by being part of the military and moving around is “pretty significant,” adding that her family was in Germany when the wall that separated the former East and West Germany came down.
“How many kids can say they were there for that?” she asked.
The chairman also said it’s important for the nation to discuss how history will regard the men and women who have served in the last 10 to 12 years at war, and the audience should be aware of how that perception will impact the children of those veterans and service members.
“The image of the institution and the image of those who serve is also reflected on our children in how they represent this great country, this institution, in the schools in which they attend … and just [in] the way they carry themselves,” he said.
And while there are struggles at times, military children are “amazing kids,” Deanie Dempsey said.
She also stressed that parents must be advocates for their children, recalling the mother of a military child whose father was overseas. The boy wasn’t doing well in school. The staff researched the roster of students and found it had 13 military children of deployed parents. The staff formed a support group just for them, and the boy’s school experience turned from negative to positive.
“The more we reach out to them, the better off we all are,” added Deanie Dempsey, who earned a master’s degree in education.
The Dempseys said it’s also vital to stay positive for children’s well-being during a permanent change of station, which often take place in the summer months.
“But your children will reflect you. If you're positive about the move, they will be. If you're not ... they won't be,” the general said."