Military brat
Encyclopedia
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent (or parents) serve full-time in the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, and can also refer to the unique subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
and lifestyle of American military brats, the term refers to both current and former children of such families.
Lifestyle: The "military brat lifestyle" (with exceptions in some cases) involves moving to new states or countries many times while growing up as the child's military family is customarily transferred, along with the soldier-parent, to new non-combat assignments; consequently, many military brats never have a home town. War-related family stresses are also a commonly occurring part of military brat life . There are also other aspects of military brat life that are significantly different in comparison to the civilian American population, often including living in foreign countries and or diverse regions within the U.S., exposure to foreign languages and cultures, as well as immersion in military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
.
Subculture: "Military brats" (especially current and former children of career military families) are largely viewed by themselves and by those who study them as a distinct, 200 year-old American subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
, with millions of members. The age of the phenomenon has meant military brats have also been described by a number of researchers as one of Americas oldest and yet least well-known and largely invisible subcultures. They have also been described as a modern nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic subculture.
Connotations: "Military brat", in U.S. military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
is known as a term of endearment and respect and may also imply a certain spunkiness or adaptability. The term may also (for those brats who grow up moving a lot) connote a military brats experience of mobile upbringing, or as a world traveller, or global citizen, or may reference a sense of worldliness. Research has shown that most current and former military brats like the term, however outside of the military world, the term "military brat" can sometimes be misunderstood by the non-military population, where the word "brat" (by itself) may be seen as negative, especially in mainstream American usage.
Primary features of military brat lifestyle and culture
Studies show that this group (on average) is shaped by frequent moves (as the family follows the soldier-parent who is transferred from military base to military base, each move usually being hundreds or thousands of miles in distance), a culture of resilience and adaptivity, constant loss of friendship ties, a facility or knack for making new friends, never having a hometown, extensive exposure to foreign cultures and languages while living overseas, as well as exposure to a wide range of regional cultural differences due to living in a variety of different American regions, a series of military bases serving as community centers, pervasive military culture on those bases, absence of a parent due to deployments, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, threat of parental loss in warWar
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, stresses associated with the psychological aftermath of war (living with war-affected returning veteran parents) and militarization of the family unit (children being treated to some degree like soldiers and being subjected to military regimentation, inculcation into a warrior code of honor and service, frequent exposure to patriotic ideas and symbols, experience of free medical care, and military discipline). Military brats also get completely free medical care until their soldier-parent leaves the service (without a full combat related disability) or they reach the age of 21 or age 23 (depending on the parents branch of service) if enrolled in college full-time.
While some non-military families may share some of these same attributes and experiences, military culture is unique because of a much higher incidence and concentration of these issues and experiences in military families as compared to civilian populations. And by tightly-knit military communities that perceive these experiences as normal. Studies show (overall) that growing up immersed in military culture can have long-lasting effects on children, both in positive and also some negative ways.
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent (or parents) serve full-time in the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, and can also refer to the unique subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
and lifestyle of American military brats,Musil, Donna; Goodwin, Beth; Kristofferson, Kris. Brats: Our Journey Home. Brats Without Borders, 2006. ISBN 0-9774907-1-8 the term refers to both current and former children of such families.
Lifestyle: The "military brat lifestyle" (with exceptions in some cases) involves moving to new states or countries many times while growing up as the child's military family is customarily transferred, along with the soldier-parent, to new non-combat assignments; consequently, many military brats never have a home town. War-related family stresses are also a commonly occurring part of military brat life . There are also other aspects of military brat life that are significantly different in comparison to the civilian American population, often including living in foreign countries and or diverse regions within the U.S., exposure to foreign languages and cultures, as well as immersion in military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
.Hawkins, John P. "Army of Hope, Army of Alienation: Culture and Contradiction in the American Army Communities of Cold War Germany" [Hardcover]
Subculture: "Military brats" (especially current and former children of career military families) are largely viewed by themselves and by those who study them as a distinct, 200 year-old American subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
, with millions of members. The age of the phenomenon has meant military brats have also been described by a number of researchers as one of Americas oldest and yet least well-known and largely invisible subcultures.Ender, Morton, "Military Brats and Other Global Nomads", March 2002, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN 9780275972660, ISBN 0275972666 They have also been described as a modern nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic subculture.
Connotations: "Military brat", in U.S. military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
is known as a term of endearment and respect and may also imply a certain spunkiness or adaptability. The term may also (for those brats who grow up moving a lot) connote a military brats experience of mobile upbringing, or as a world traveller, or global citizen, or may reference a sense of worldliness. Research has shown that most current and former military brats like the term, however outside of the military world, the term "military brat" can sometimes be misunderstood by the non-military population, where the word "brat" (by itself) may be seen as negative, especially in mainstream American usage.
Primary features of military brat lifestyle and culture
Studies show that this group (on average) is shaped by frequent moves (as the family follows the soldier-parent who is transferred from military base to military base, each move usually being hundreds or thousands of miles in distance), a culture of resilience and adaptivity, constant loss of friendship ties, a facility or knack for making new friends, never having a hometown, extensive exposure to foreign cultures and languages while living overseas, as well as exposure to a wide range of regional cultural differences due to living in a variety of different American regions, a series of military bases serving as community centers, pervasive military culture on those bases, absence of a parent due to deployments, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, threat of parental loss in warWar
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, stresses associated with the psychological aftermath of war (living with war-affected returning veteran parents) and militarization of the family unit (children being treated to some degree like soldiers and being subjected to military regimentation, inculcation into a warrior code of honor and service, frequent exposure to patriotic ideas and symbols, experience of free medical care, and military discipline).Britten, Samuel L. (June 17, 1999) Military brats also get completely free medical care until their soldier-parent leaves the service (without a full combat related disability) or they reach the age of 21 or age 23 (depending on the parents branch of service) if enrolled in college full-time.
While some non-military families may share some of these same attributes and experiences, military culture is unique because of a much higher incidence and concentration of these issues and experiences in military families as compared to civilian populations. And by tightly-knit military communities that perceive these experiences as normal. Studies show (overall) that growing up immersed in military culture can have long-lasting effects on children, both in positive and also some negative ways.
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent (or parents) serve full-time in the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, and can also refer to the unique subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
and lifestyle of American military brats,Musil, Donna; Goodwin, Beth; Kristofferson, Kris. Brats: Our Journey Home. Brats Without Borders, 2006. ISBN 0-9774907-1-8 the term refers to both current and former children of such families.
Lifestyle: The "military brat lifestyle" (with exceptions in some cases) involves moving to new states or countries many times while growing up as the child's military family is customarily transferred, along with the soldier-parent, to new non-combat assignments; consequently, many military brats never have a home town. War-related family stresses are also a commonly occurring part of military brat life . There are also other aspects of military brat life that are significantly different in comparison to the civilian American population, often including living in foreign countries and or diverse regions within the U.S., exposure to foreign languages and cultures, as well as immersion in military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
.Hawkins, John P. "Army of Hope, Army of Alienation: Culture and Contradiction in the American Army Communities of Cold War Germany" [Hardcover]
Subculture: "Military brats" (especially current and former children of career military families) are largely viewed by themselves and by those who study them as a distinct, 200 year-old American subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
, with millions of members. The age of the phenomenon has meant military brats have also been described by a number of researchers as one of Americas oldest and yet least well-known and largely invisible subcultures.Ender, Morton, "Military Brats and Other Global Nomads", March 2002, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN 9780275972660, ISBN 0275972666 They have also been described as a modern nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic subculture.
Connotations: "Military brat", in U.S. military culture
Military sociology
Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as an organization. It is a highly specialized subfield which examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to...
is known as a term of endearment and respect and may also imply a certain spunkiness or adaptability. The term may also (for those brats who grow up moving a lot) connote a military brats experience of mobile upbringing, or as a world traveller, or global citizen, or may reference a sense of worldliness. Research has shown that most current and former military brats like the term, however outside of the military world, the term "military brat" can sometimes be misunderstood by the non-military population, where the word "brat" (by itself) may be seen as negative, especially in mainstream American usage.
Primary features of military brat lifestyle and culture
Studies show that this group (on average) is shaped by frequent moves (as the family follows the soldier-parent who is transferred from military base to military base, each move usually being hundreds or thousands of miles in distance), a culture of resilience and adaptivity, constant loss of friendship ties, a facility or knack for making new friends, never having a hometown, extensive exposure to foreign cultures and languages while living overseas, as well as exposure to a wide range of regional cultural differences due to living in a variety of different American regions, a series of military bases serving as community centers, pervasive military culture on those bases, absence of a parent due to deployments, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, threat of parental loss in warWar
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, stresses associated with the psychological aftermath of war (living with war-affected returning veteran parents) and militarization of the family unit (children being treated to some degree like soldiers and being subjected to military regimentation, inculcation into a warrior code of honor and service, frequent exposure to patriotic ideas and symbols, experience of free medical care, and military discipline).Britten, Samuel L. (June 17, 1999) Military brats also get completely free medical care until their soldier-parent leaves the service (without a full combat related disability) or they reach the age of 21 or age 23 (depending on the parents branch of service) if enrolled in college full-time.
While some non-military families may share some of these same attributes and experiences, military culture is unique because of a much higher incidence and concentration of these issues and experiences in military families as compared to civilian populations. And by tightly-knit military communities that perceive these experiences as normal. Studies show (overall) that growing up immersed in military culture can have long-lasting effects on children, both in positive and also some negative ways.
Life on base
Military bases are often small cities with 10,000 or more people, and are self-contained worlds where military culture is primary, and off-base culture is secondary.Wertsch (1991) Military families don't always live on base, but often do. Military towns, the areas immediately surrounding a base, are also often highly influenced by military culture.Community in a lifestyle of high mobility: Military brats grow up moving from base to base as they follow their soldier parents to new assignments. Sometimes living on base, sometimes off, the base in both cases is often the center of military brat life, where shopping, recreation, schools and the military community form a string of temporary towns for military brats as they grow up.
Perceptions of difference: Studies show that the culture on military bases is perceived by most current and former military brats as significantly different from civilian culture. It is widely experienced as being pervaded by military cultural norms and expectations, as well as the presence of MPs, armed guards, high security zones and some degree of surveillance. Balancing this are extensive areas which are more relaxed in character, for on-base housing, shopping, dining, recreation, sports and entertainment as well as base chapels which host diverse religious services. However military regulations, laws and social codes of conduct are in force throughout the base which can be very different than local, state or national laws, regulations and customs.
Language and culture: Military language also has differences from standard American English and is often peppered with military slang
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
and military acronyms There are many words and phrases that are unique to the military world, and which make up a part of everyday conversation on bases. For example, time is measured in 24 hours rather than 12 hour segments as in the civilian world, and distances are often described in meters and kilometers (or "Clicks" in military slang) instead of yards or miles. Consequently many military brats report feelings of cultural identity that have a military flavor and a feeling of difference from local civilian culture, even on bases in the United States. These feelings of difference can also be made more complex by virtue of having absorbed varying degrees of overseas cultures and also different regional American cultures while living in different places as a part of the military brat lifestyle.
Transience: Bases do form communities, but due to most of them experiencing frequent 100% turnover in just a few years, an adult military brat can never return and find old friends, neighbors or even former teachers, on bases where they grew up. Base schools usually have an even higher turnover rate, reaching 100% turnover in as little as 2 years. Due to revocation of base privileges upon reaching the age of 18 (or 23 if one attends college), access to bases to reminisce or reconnect with ones places of growing up, can also be difficult.
Size of population
Although no exact figures are available, the U.S. Department of Defense estimates that approximately 15 million Americans are former or current military brats, including those who spent all or part of their childhood and / or adolescence in the lifestyle. This population (of current and former military brats) includes an age range from less than 1 years old to over 90 years of age, since there have been military brats for generations. Many military brats spent all of their growing up years in the active lifestyle, some for only part, although military family issues, dynamics and influences may continue nevertheless.Studies of military brats
Military brats have been studied extensively {citations}, both from the perspective of social psychologySocial psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
and as a distinct and unique American subculture, although less so in terms of long-term impact of the lifestyle. There are also some gaps in studies of more recent (post cold-war era) military brats. Collectively these studies paint a fairly consistent picture of how the lifestyle tends to influence the population (on average) in various aspects of life. These studies look at overall patterns and individual experiences may vary widely:
Positive patterns in overall study results
Some strong positives that have been identified in studies of military brat populations are a high occurrence of very resilient personalities, exceptional social skills, a high level of multicultural or international awareness, proficiency in foreign languages, and a statistically very strong affinity for careers that entail service to others. Studies show that ex-military kids end up pursuing service-related careers in very high numbers: military service, teaching, counseling, police, nursing and foreign service work being highly represented in military brat career statistics (in comparison to statistics on non-military brat patterns of employment choices). Mary Edwards WertschMary Edwards Wertsch
Mary Edwards Wertsch is an author, journalist, independent publisher and expert on the subculture of American military brats. She wrote the book Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress. This book is considered the seminal piece of literature dealing with the effects of growing up...
author of a well-known study on military brats also identified a pattern (for those military brats who do not choose military service) of work that is more independent (self-employment / avoidance of direct subservience to authority figures) and along those lines also favoring creative and artistic professions that offer more independence. She also reported that for those military brats who did choose military service there was a tendency to go through a phase of bucking or testing authority during military service, or a pattern of resenting authority, represented in her study population. Although military brats who become soldiers also tend to do well overall in the profession.
As adults, military brats can share many of the same positive and negative traits identified in other populations that experienced very mobile childhoods. Having had the opportunity to live around the world, military brats can have a breadth of experiences unmatched by most teenagers. Regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender, brats might identify more with other highly mobile children than with non-mobile ones. Military brats also graduate from college at a higher rate than the civilian population and divorce at a lower rate.
Negative patterns in overall study results
On the negative side, studies show that some former military brats struggle to develop and maintain deep, lasting relationships, and can feel like outsiders to U.S. civilian culture. The transitory lifestyle can hinder potential for constructing concrete relationships with people and developing emotional attachments to specific places.As can the stresses of having a parent deployed to a war zone and also the psychological aftermath of war in dealing with returning veteran parents. And in some cases there is also the loss of a parent in combat, or a drastic change in a parent due to a combat related disability. A military brat may also personally know another child or teenager, or even a few other peers, whose parents have become war casualties (wounded or killed). A significant minority of ex military brats (although not a majority) may exhibit symptoms of (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder is a personality disorder recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders handbook in a person characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation, and avoidance of...
, Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder is a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment...
, etc.).Wertsch, Mary Edwards (April 23, 1991). Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress (1st hardcover edition). Harmony. ISBN 0-517-58400-X.
Mobile lifestyle preferences
Although neither a clearly negative or positive trait, studies also show that many adult military brats report difficulty settling down in one geographic location and also report a desire to move (relocate) every few years, many adult military brats call this "the itch".Jordan, Kathleen Finn (2002). "Identity Formation and the Adult Third Culture Kid" in Morten Ender (ed.), Military Brats and Other Global Nomads: Growing Up in Organization Families, Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-97266-6 However some adult military brats report the opposite tendency and relate refusing any and all pressures from spouses or employers to ever move again.Perfectionist tendencies
Many former military brats report struggling at some point in their lives with issues related to perfectionismPerfectionism (psychology)
Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that a state of completeness and flawlessness can and should be attained. In its pathological form, perfectionism is a belief that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable...
and learning how to let go in areas of personal performance (perhaps due to the demanding nature of military culture). Paradoxically, a majority of those very same military brats who report having struggled with perfectionism and performance control issues also describe themselves as being successful in their lives, indicating a resilience that also surfaces in overcoming or learning to manage those issues in the long run.
Adaptability and outsider feelings
Overall a majority of military brats report having developed a kind of extra-adaptability and assimilate into new situations quickly and well, as they have done with each move to a new military base, town or country. Yet paradoxically, long term feelings of being an outsider in relation to civilian (non-military) culture are however common to a majority of military brats. For example one major study shows that 32% of military brats feel as if they are only spectators on U.S. life and another 48% do not feel as if they are central to any group.Military culture
A significant percentage of Military brats report difficulty in forming strong relations with people or places, but very often do form strong connections with (or in some cases aversion to) the notion of a military base and the communities in which they find themselves.Benson, John PhD (2004). "Emplacing Our Lives: Executive Study" Presentation at the FIGT 2004 Conference. Retrieved December 3, 2006. This is because the knowledge, experience, values, ideas, attitudes, skills, tastes, and techniques that are associated with the military can sometimes differ from civilian culture.Operation Military Kids: Chapter Four Exploring our Military Culture p 3–4. Retrieved on January 9, 2007 Military baseMilitary base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
s are miniature, self-contained, government-subsidized towns that promote conformity. Military families shop at some of the same stores, whose discounted merchandise is regulated to prevent unfair competition, so they can often end up with the same clothes and products. Male brats were, at one time, likely to get the same "military haircut" at the base barbershop, but this has changed over time. To a child growing up on a military base, in a homogeneous culture, the individuality of civilian life was once thought to be completely foreign. However, as the individual children have attended civilian schools near base and socialized with their peers, this perceived difference may have reduced to varying degrees.
Values and patriotism
Patriotism may come to mean different things for different ex-military brats, but nevertheless figures strongly in the upbringing, language and thinking of many who grew up in military families. The comfort, or sense of restriction, (or both) that can be found on military bases is not limited to the physical trappings, but can be fortified via some of the consistent ritualRitual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
s common to them. When moving around the world, these rituals can help brats feel at home in their new community. Even though the faces and geography change, the "base" can remain recognizable because the rituals are often uniform. The underlying principle of these rituals is consistent: to promote patriotism.
It has been claimed by Samuel Britten on the basis of anecdotal evidence that life on military bases is associated with comparatively greater patriotic sentiments. For example honoring the American Flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
is expected. At the end of the business day, on a military installation, the bugle call "To the Color" is played while the flag is lowered. While no longer universal, formerly anybody outside, even if participating in sports or driving a car, was expected to stop their activity and stand at attention. Uniformed personnel salute and non-uniformed people place their hand over their heart.
Until recently, the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
was recited every morning and patriotic and militaristic songs may have been sung at Department of Defense Dependents Schools
Department of Defense Dependents Schools
The Department of Defense Dependents Schools are a network of schools, both primary and secondary, that serve dependents of United States military - and other non-US - personnel outside the United States. The schools themselves are operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity...
(DoDDS) overseas and Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) within the United States. Patriotic
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
ideals often form the basis for church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s. Protestant and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
worship services may include militaristic hymns. Prior to movies at base theaters, patrons and staff stand for the National Anthem and often another patriotic song, such as "God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No...
".
The military family knows that the service person may be killed in the line of duty, but may accept that risk because they understand the values of duty, honor, and country. The mission is one in which the brat shares by extension through his military parent.Williams (2002) p 69. "Military culture is organized according to rank, military specialty, unit membership, branch of service, and residence… all of which affects the identity formation of a child growing up in a military family."
Military law
Uniform Code of Military Justice
The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
requires commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
s and those in authority to demonstrate virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
, honor, patriotism, and subordination in all that they do. In the 1990s, the army officially adopted what have come to be known as "The 7 Army Values," which are summarized with the acronym "LDRSHIP." LDRSHIP stands for Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. While this acronym is relatively new, the ideas it represents have been at the heart of military service for generations. Similarly, the motto "Duty, honor, country" is the standard of the U.S. military. Military brats are raised in a culture that stresses LDRSHIP, Duty, Honor, Country, and being a "lady" or "gentleman." Their strict (outward) adherence to military values is what separates most from their civilian peers. Children of military personnel often mirror the values, ideals, and attitudes of their parents more than children of civilians.Watanabe (1985) p 106 Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
General Peter Pace
Peter Pace
Peter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on...
, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff said "There's no way, in my mind, that you can be successful in the military and have a family unless that family does, in fact, appreciate your service to the country.[...] [Brats are] patriots and role models for us all."Wood, Sgt. Sara (April 18, 2006) "Sacrifices of Military Children Aren’t Forgotten, Pace Says." American Forces Press. Retrieved on December 3, 2006.
Discipline
The stereotypical military family might have had a "duty roster" on the refrigerator, parent-conducted room inspections, and children who say "yes sir/ma'am" to adults. Eighty percent of Cold-war era brats described their father as "authoritarian" or desiring to exercise complete control over their lives. They described their military parent as rigid in discipline, inflexible, intolerant of dissent, disapproving of non-conforming behavior, insensitive to their emotions, and not accepting of personal privacy. A Cold War era military psychologistPsychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, publishing in the American Journal of Psychology
American Journal of Psychology
The American Journal of Psychology was the first English-language journal devoted primarily to experimental psychology . AJP was founded by the Johns Hopkins University psychologist Granville Stanley Hall in 1887...
, reviewed the parents of patients who came to his clinic, and concluded that 93% of patients came from military families that were overly authoritarian.
Disciplinary expectations extend beyond the military family. Family members know that their actions and behavior can have a direct impact on the military service member's career.Wertsch (1991), p. 30. Truscott (1989), p. 107. "Military brats were aware that their behavior or misbehavior was a direct reflection on their parents, and specifically on their fathers". The consequences of misbehavior for a military brat are generally greater than for civilian children. A military person’s career and social identity
Social identity
A social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. As originally formulated by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s and 80s, social identity theory introduced the concept of a social identity as a way in which to...
can be dashed in seconds by a willful or careless child.Wertsch (1991), pp. 31–32 For example, when a military brat gets in trouble, the authorities may call the parent's Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
or the Base Commander
Base commander
The base commander is the officer assigned to command a military base. In the United States armed forces, a base commander is generally an O-6 grade officer, meaning Colonel or Captain . A base commander may be a higher or lower rank, however, depending on the installation. In the US Army, a base...
before, or instead of, calling the brat's parents. If the Commanding Officer or Base Commander is contacted, the brat's behavior may become a part of the military member's record
Service record
A service record is a collection of either electronic or printed material which provides a documentary history of a person's activities and accomplishments while serving as a member of a given organization...
, and adversely affect his or her ability to be promoted or the duty assignments (particularly overseas) that lead to advancement.
Research into military brats has consistently shown them to be better behaved than their civilian counterparts. Sociologist Phoebe Price posed three possible hypotheses as to why brats are better behaved: firstly, military parents have a lower threshold for misbehavior in their children; secondly, the mobility
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement of people in a population from one social class or economic level to another. It typically refers to vertical mobility -- movement of individuals or groups up from one socio-economic level to another, often by changing jobs or marrying; but can also refer to...
of teenagers might make them less likely to attract attention to themselves, as they want to fit in and are less secure with their surroundings; and thirdly, normative constraints are greater, with brats knowing that their behavior is under scrutiny and can affect the military member’s career.
Teenage years are typically a period when people establish independence by taking some risks away from their parents. When the teenager lives in a "fish-bowl community," a small self-contained community such as a base, challenging boundaries may be more difficult (and, due to such strictness, much easier). Brats know that misbehavior or rebellious activity will be reported to their parents.Eakin (1998) p 25 Brats are sometimes under constant pressure to conform to what military culture expects; this means they are sometimes seen as being more mature in their youth than their peers. If they grow up overseas or on military bases, they might have limited opportunities to see a wide range of role models in different professions.Eakin (1998) p 20
Strict discipline can have the opposite effect: brats may rebel or behave in adolescent manners well beyond what is normally considered acceptable.*Cottrell, Ann and Ruth Hill Useem (1993). TCKs Experience Prolonged Adolescence. International Schools Services, 8(1)'.' Retrieved January 5, 2007. Others develop psychological problems due to the intense stress of always being on their best behavior.
Military classism
Military life is strictly segregatedGeographical segregation
Geographical segregation exists whenever the proportions of population rates of two or more populations are not homogenous throughout a defined space...
by rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
;Cline (1995) p 82. "Protocol is not intended to promote snobbery; it is a courtesy designed to recognize official status and give respect to those who, by their achievements, time in service, and experience, deserve it. And the exercise of that most certainly extends to spouses." the facilities provided for officers and enlisted personnel differ dramatically. The officers' housing will generally be more accessible to base activities, larger in size, and better landscaped
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
. On larger bases, the officers' housing may be broken down into different categories, with senior officers receiving larger and more opulent housing; sometimes, the highest-ranking officers live in a row of large houses often referred to as "Colonels'/Captains' Row" or "Generals'/Admirals' Row," as the case may be.
The Officer Clubs are more elegant than the Enlisted Clubs. Officers have cleaner, more elaborate recreational facilities than their enlisted counterparts. Historically, base chapels and movie theaters would have designated seating for officers and their families. For a part of the twentieth century, some bases had two Boy Scout and two Girl Scout
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
troops—one for officer children and one for enlisted children.Wertsch (1991), p. 290.
These segregations are no longer found on US military bases. Most Officer and Enlisted clubs have been merged into "All Hands" Clubs. There is no seating segregation in base chapels or movie theaters, however, military personnel do stand in respect to the playing of the "National Anthem" before the beginning of movies at the base theaters. Military children play together without recognition of parental rank and there is no segregation of the Scouts. Any "social" rank discrimination among families is isolated and typically frowned upon by the general population. Rank is primarily enforced among active duty personnel during working hours and in regards to sexual relationships, which could create a hostile work environment.
These differences are not merely external, but a core aspect of military life. Children of enlisted personnel often believe that children of officers receive specialized treatment because non-officers are afraid to upset the officers. The physical separation and differences between available activities make it very difficult. Most military brats on a personal level do not let this affect their social interactions and in most cases it is often frowned upon to treat others by their parent's pay grade or rank.
The separation by rank has the intended purpose of maintaining military discipline among service members. According to the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, it can be illegal for an officer to fraternize with an enlisted person because it would corrode the military hierarchy. This is often conveyed to the children of military personnel. Two brats whose parents have a subordinate-supervisory relationship can cause problems for both their parents.
To a lesser degree, military classism also includes the branch of service to which the military parent belongs. If asked to name "the best branch of service," military brats will almost invariably name the one to which their parent belonged. They will be able to articulate many reasons why "their" branch of the service is the best. These biases are maintained well past the time they cease to be military dependents. When brats grow up, these boundaries are replaced by a shared identity based upon that of being a military brat.
Anti-racism
In 1948, nearly 20 years before the civil rights movement swept through the non-military segments of U.S. society, President TrumanHarry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
signed Executive Order 9981
Executive Order 9981
Executive Order 9981 is an executive order issued on July 26, 1948 by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. It expanded on Executive Order 8802 by establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services for people of all races, religions, or national origins."In 1947, Randolph, along...
integrating the military and mandating equality of treatment and opportunity. It outlawed segregation in the military and made it illegal, per military law, to make a racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
remark. Fifteen years later, Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
issued Department of Defense Directive 5120.36
Directive 5120.36
Department of Defense Directive 5120.36 was issued in July 1963 by Robert S. McNamara, then Secretary of Defense of the United States. This directive dealt directly with the issue of racism in areas surrounding military communities. The directive declared:...
. "Every military commander," the Directive mandates, "has the responsibility to oppose discriminatory practices affecting his men and their dependents and to foster equal opportunity for them, not only in areas under his immediate control, but also in nearby communities where they may gather in off-duty hours." The directive was issued in 1963, but it was not until 1967 that the first non-military installation was declared off-limits to military personnel due to its discriminatory practices. While these directives did not eliminate all racism in the military, they continue to impact the culture in which children of military personnel grow up.
When families go overseas, minority students rarely experience overt racism from their expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
neighbors. This is also true on military bases within the U.S.; as the diverse and more integrated military base community is isolated from the off-base community, and seen as the primary community, outside communities being secondary, military dependents are less likely to resort to racist notions. The bonds of the military community are normally seen by military dependents as being stronger bonds than the differences of race. Military brats grow up in a setting that actively condemns racist comments. This results in brats who "aren't just non-racist, but anti-racist."
Range of international experience and influences
Sociologist Morten Ender conducted the largest scientific study to date exclusively on career military brats (those who had at least one parent in the military from birth through high school). He interviewed and sent questionnaires to over 600 brats who belonged to various brat organizations and responded to his newspaper and internet ads. His study revealed that 97% lived in at least one foreign country, 63% in two, 31% in 3. They averaged 8 moves before graduating from high school and spent an average of 7 years in foreign countries. Over 80% now speak at least one language other than English and 14% speak three or more. Ann Cottrell's work with Third Culture Kids, however, shows slightly lower results, but her results did not specify career brats. Sociologist Henry Watanabe showed that military and civilian teenagers share the same concerns and desires, but that growing up in a mobile community offers opportunities and experiences generally unavailable to geographically stable families. A sociological study of overseas American military communities in Cold War Germany also showed some transformational effects on those communities due to foreign exposure.Friendships
Because military brats are constantly making new friends to replace the ones that they have lost, they are often more outgoing and independent.Dr. Frederic Medway, psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
professor at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, in Rutz, Paul (28 April 2006) "Kids of Deployed Military Parents Need Consistency." American Forces Press Service. Retrieved on January 27, 2007. According to the largest study conducted on nearly 700 TCKs, eighty percent claim that they can relate to anyone, regardless of differences such as race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.Useem, Ruth et al. (undated) "Third Culture Kids: Focus of Major Study". International Schools Services. Retrieved on December 3, 2006.
A typical military school can experience up to 50% turnover every year (25% graduate
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
while a third of the remaining 75% of students move); social groups that existed one year cease to exist as new groups emerge. The brat learns to adapt quickly to fit into this ever changing environment. Highly mobile children are more likely to reach out to a new student because they know what it is like to be the new student.Eakin (U.S. Dept of State)
Recent studies show that, although brats move on average every 3 years, they do not grow accustomed to moving. The constantly changing environment and openness to others has a price. Rather than develop problem-solving skills, there is a temptation to simply leave a problem without resolving it. If a person does not like somebody or gets into a fight, they know that in a few years somebody will move and the problem will disappear. On the other hand, when brats marry it is generally for life; over two thirds of brats over 40 are married to their first spouse. Studies show that many brats become very adaptable as a result of the mobile lifestyle, But there is also a higher than average incidence, among a minority of military brats, of Avoidant Personality Disorder and Separation Anxiety Disorder.
School life
Moving during the summer months can be challenging. Courses students have taken at their old schools may not fulfill the graduation requirements at their new school.Eakin (1996) p 66–67 Moving during the winter holidays or mid-year, however, has traditionally been viewed as the worst time to move. The student is forced to join classes that have already begun. Social groupsGroup (sociology)
In the social sciences a social group can be defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity...
become even more difficult to break into and activities that the student enjoyed may be barred to him or her. For example, an athlete may not be able to join his or her sport because they missed tryouts and the season had already begun. A student who excelled at their old DoDDS or DDESS school suddenly feels inadequate at the larger school.Eakin (1998) p 15 Recent studies, however, show that mobility during the school year may be less traumatic than summer time moves.
DoDDS schools overseas and DDESS schools in the United States tend to be smaller than many public schools. Students and teachers often interact in a more social manner with one another. When returning to civilian schools, the lack of camaraderie with the faculty can be an unexpected obstacle for many highly mobile families.
Military brats have lower delinquency
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
rates, higher achievement scores on standardized tests, and higher median IQ than their civilian counterparts.Williams (2002) p 68 They are more likely to have a college degree (60% v 24%) and possess an advanced degree (29.1% v 5%). While these rates are higher than the general U.S. population, they are lower than those of other non-brat Third Culture Kids (84–90% college degree and 40% graduate degree).Ender (2002) p 88–90 United States Military brats are the most mobile of the Third Culture Kids, moving on average every three years. Brats move frequently between bases in the United States and typically spend at least three years abroad, and sometimes none at all.
Abuse and alcoholism
Two of the common themes in Wertsch's book are abuseAbuse
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. These are echoed in other literature of the Cold War, such as Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy , is a New York Times bestselling author who has written several acclaimed novels and memoirs. Two of his novels, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, were made into Oscar-nominated films.-Early life:...
's The Great Santini
The Great Santini (novel)
The Great Santini is a novel written by Pat Conroy and published in 1976.-Plot summary:The Great Santini tells the story of hard-nosed Marine fighter pilot Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meecham, who calls himself "The Great Santini," and the family he runs with a strict hand. It follows the Meecham family...
. In the 1980s and 1990s the U.S. military focused on the issues of abuse and alcoholism. The impact on the military's efforts remains inconclusive. Some studies report higher rates of abuse in military families, while others report lower rates.
The studies that conclude abuse is a bigger problem in military families than civilian families attribute this to the long hours, frequent disruptions in lifestyles, and high degree of stress. They point out that military families may be more reluctant to report issues of abuse because of the potential impact on the service member's career. Other studies, however, argue that military families have a smaller problem than civilian families because military culture offers more accessible help for victims of abuse. Military families have health care, housing, and family support programs often unavailable to lower income civilian families. Abusive family members are more likely to be ordered (by their Commanding Officer or Base Commander) to obtain treatment, thus reducing reoccurrences of abuse.Rentz ED, Martin SL, Gibbs DA, et al. "Family Violence in the Military: A review of the Literature." Trauma Violence, and Abuse. 2006 Apr;7(2):93–108. PMID 16534146 p 94–95
Current military brats
The U.S. Defense Department reports that there are currently 2 million American children and teenagers who have had at least one parent deployed in a war zone in the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.Wilson, Elaine, "Military Teens Cope With Wartime Challenges", American Forces Press Service, Department of Defense, FORT CAMPBELL, Ky., April 22, 2010 http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0410_militarychild/military-teens.html Over 900,000 have had a parent deployed multiple times.Most of the research into military brats has been conducted on the long term effects on adults who grew up during the Cold War and also during the Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
s. As the Cold War came to an end, the role of the United States Armed Forces changed. The U.S. military realized that there was distinct correlation between the quality of life and retention and operational effectiveness. To this end, the military started to change the living standards that most Cold War brats grew up with. The demographics of the military changed. The modern military has a larger proportion of married military members. Since base housing is designed for fewer families, more families are forced to live off-base.
Military personnel are also being supplemented by more civilians filling essential roles. And the introduction of the large megabases that intermesh different service branches and their individual cultures has also affected the demographics.McClure, Peggy and Walter Broughton (2000) "Measuring the Cohesion of Military Communities." Armed Forces & Society, Vol 26 No 3, Spring 2000. p. 473 Finally, during the Post Cold War period, the United States has been involved in three extended military engagements (two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan). The long term effects of these changes are unknown, but research has been conducted on short term effects on Post-Cold War Era brats.
War in the 21st century
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
it is possible for family members to communicate with servicemen in combat zones. This allows brats to remain in closer contact with their military parent(s), but it also increases tension as more details reach the military families. Round-the-clock news agencies, such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Fox News, spread news faster than the military bureaucracy can process the details. This means that military families know that servicemen have died before official word reaches the family. Military Psychiatrist Colonel Stephen Cozza says that a "sense of fear" accompanies news of the death of a service member until confirmation that the service member was not a loved one.Cozza SJ, Chun RS, Polo JA. (2005) "Military Families and Children During Operation Iraqi Freedom." Psychiatric Quarterly, ol 76. No 4. Winter 2005. p 371–378. PMID 16217632 p 377
Wertsch has pointed out, however, that during the Vietnam War, televised news war coverage was also very intense and constant, and that similar issues of military family fear being intensified by television coverage were also present for military brats and spouses of that era with a family member in the war.
Despite these facts, studies show only a slight increase in immediate stressors among military brats whose parents serve in a combat zone, although no studies on the longer-term effects have ever been done. Boys and younger children do show the most risk when a parent is deployed, but rarely does this require clinical intervention. However, studies show that when a military member is deployed to a combat zone, the family cohesion is more disrupted than when service members are deployed to non-combat zones.
Military members can be deployed for days, months, or even years without their family. When a parent is stationed without his family, the children experience the same emotions as children of divorced parents.Deployment Center (Undated). "Your Children and Separation." Military. Com. Retrieved on December 3, 2006. In addition to the effects of the divorce, military brats have additional concerns. When a military member is sent away, the family does not always know where they are going or when (or if) the service member will return.Walls, Judith (Sept 2003) "When War is News". in Terrorism and Children Purdue Extension. Retrieved on December 3, 2006. Studies show that there are three phases to deployment and each phase has different impacts on the family. Military spouses reported the following when their spouse was deployed:
- Predeployment — Marital stress/conflict, distancing from spouse, anger, resentment, sadness/depression, negative child behavior.
- Deployment — Marital problems, isolation, loneliness, anger, resentment, sadness/depression, reduced communications, stress, less social support, assuming the role of single parent, child care difficulties, sleep disturbances, physical symptoms, home and car repairs, difficulty accessing military services, negative child behavior.
- Postdeployment/Reunion — Redefining responsibilities, marital stress, communication problems, anxiety, anger, resentment, parent-child attachment issues
While separation produces stress, according to the US military it strengthens the children by forcing them to take on additional responsibilities when a parent is absent, encouraging independence.
A Pentagon study released in June 2009, show that children of combat troops show more fear, anxiety and behavioral problems. According to the study, spouses report that when the service member is sent to a combat zone, that their children start to experienced increased anxiety. One in four parents say their children respond poor or very poorly and a third experienced academic problems. Another study done by the University of California - Los Angeles indicated that a year after the parent returns, the 30% of children "exhibited clinical levels of anxiety." The Pentagon Study found the effects most pronounced in children between the ages of 5-13, while the University of California study found contrary evidence that the issues were the strongest in children under the age of 8.
"Suddenly military" brats ("Reserve brats" or "National Guard brats")
"Suddenly military" (reservist and National Guard) families face additional challenges, related to isolation from other military-family peers, and isolation within their home-town communities, not faced by traditional military families:Roehr, Bob. "Families of Deployed Reserve, National Guard Soldiers Face Challenges", Medscape Today, Medscape Medical News, November 16, 2010 (Denver, Colorado)With the increased demands on the U.S. military, reservists have been called to active duty. The children of these reservists, who are suddenly called to extended active duty, are technically military brats, but they may not identify with or share all of the characteristics of traditional brats (although in certain specific areas, such as war-related issues, they may share a great deal). In an effort to help integrate "suddenly military" brats, groups like Operation: Military Kids and "Our Military Kids, Inc." came into existence. Operation: Military Kids is a program designed to help "suddenly military" children understand the military culture to which they now belong, and "Our Military Kids" provides monetary grants that support tutoring, sports and other extracurricular activities of National Guard and Reserve children, whose parents sometimes incur a lapse in income upon being called to active duty.
National Guard families are not as familiar with military culture. They are physically separated from other military families, meaning they may get less emotional support during wartime, and may not be as emotionally prepared for active duty deployment.Operation Military Kids: Chapter Two Impact of the Global War on Terrorism.p 5–9 Retrieved on January 1, 2007. Both the formal and informal support structures available for the regular military families are not as readily available to reservist families. Operation: Military Kids teaches "suddenly military" brats about military culture and expectations.
Children of reservist soldiers also don't share the highly mobile aspect of 'regular service' military brat life. They may however still develop feelings of difference or isolation in relation to non-military children or teenagers in their home towns, due to war-deployment related stresses and war-aftermath issues that their non-military peers may not be able to fully understand. Consequently it may be harder for teachers and health care professionals to identify and address war-deployment related child, adolescent or family problems, unless they are specifically screened for. Although the family may not be as fully immersed in military culture, individual reservist parents may still effect varying degrees of militarization of the family social environment and the child's upbringing. Some children born to no-longer active duty veterans may also experience a number of these issues.
Death of a parent in combat
The effect of having a parent killed during military operations has not been specifically studied. Limited studies on children who have lost a parent show that 10–15% experience depression and a few develop childhood traumatic grief (the inability to recall any positive memories of the deceased parent). Military psychiatrist Stephen Cozza speculates, based upon his experience, that the long-term effects of having a parent killed during war would be more traumatic and difficult to deal with than typical causes of parental death.The costs to a child of the death of a parent under any circumstance (not limited to military service deaths) show measurable effects in many studies. Some aspects of this loss may never be quantifiable in studies, since each parent is a unique individual and so their unique contributions could never be studied mathematically.
Peacetime Military Deaths
Training and preparing for war also involves significant dangers, as do other military duties. Consequently many military brats live with the reality of risk to one or both parents even when there is no active war. Peacetime military accidents claim lives every year at a significantly higher rate than accidents for the civilian population; some service professions such as military pilots, paratroopers and other airborne soldiers, aircraft carrier flight deck workers, Coast Guard sea rescue, ordinance or munitions workers, Naval firefighters, as well as those training or drilling in live ammunition exercises, all experience higher annual death rates. Such casualties are difficult, if not impossible, to keep hidden from children or teenagers in small base communities.Military Child Month
The U.S. Department of Defense has designated April as "Month of the Military Child" with special programs, public educational and support activities coordinated during this time each year. The Department of Defense also uses the term "Military Brat" in some of its research and also literature about military children.Williams, Rudi. "Military Brats Are a Special Breed". Washington, D.C.: American Forces Press Service (US Department of Defense Publication), 2001.Community for Former Military Brats: Reunited and reaching out
As adults, military brats sometimes try to reunite with their brat heritage.A recent study, "Military Brats: Issues and Associations in Adulthood," identified several reasons why some military brats, as adults, seek out brat organizations. Military Brats can feel a "sense of euphoria" when they discover that other brats share the same feelings and emotions. According to the study, brats share a bond with one another through common experiences that transcends race, religion, and nationality. Another common theme behind their joining brat organizations is to stay connected or reconnect with their old friends.
Notable military brats and fictional military brats
There many famous military brats, and also numerous representations of fictional military brats in literature and film.Origin of "Military Brat"
The origin of the term "military brat" is unknown. There is some evidence that it dates back hundreds of years into the British Empire, and originally stood for "British Regiment Attached Traveler". There have been American military brats dating back 200 years to the birth of the United States. There is also ample historical evidence that under various other names, military spouses and their children have been following armies for thousands of years, perhaps for as long as there has been organized warfare. An older (and more general/non-U.S. specific) term for these mobile military-dependent populations is "camp followers". The term "Little Traveller", used to describe the travelling child of a soldier (following his or her fathers army from place to place) also appears in literature as early as 1811.Modern perception of the term
Noted military brat researcher Mary Edwards Wertsch polled 85 ex-military children as to whether or not liked the term "military brat" and only five respondents (5.9% of the study group) objected to the term.The term is now widely used by researchers and academicians and so is no longer merely a slang
Military slang
Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...
term, but a name clearly attached to a recognized and well studied segment of U.S. culture: "Most of the professional research on growing up in military families has contributed to the perpetuation of the 'brat' label," sociologist and noted expert on the study of military brats Morten Ender wrote, "It is no wonder that the label endures and is as popular as ever."
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
by its target, to turn an insult into a positive term and deny others the ability to define it; non-military personnel may find the term "brat" insulting if they do not understand the context. Sociologist Karen Williams used it reluctantly in her research, with the disclaimer, "to follow the wishes of the participants. It is a term that they use and feel comfortable with."Williams (2002) p 67.
There is evidence that professional military culture has also reclaimed ownership of the term. Admiral Dennis C. Blair, former Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command and now U.S. Director of National Intelligence said, "There’s a standard term for the military child: 'Brat.' While it sounds pejorative, it’s actually a term of great affection."Blair, Admiral Dennis, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. "The Military Culture as an Exemplar of American Qualities" Prepared for Supporting the Military Child Annual Conference, Westin Horton Plaza Hotel, San Diego, California, (July 19, 2000). Retrieved December 3, 2006. Admiral Dennis C. Blair, Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Pacific Command defined brat as: "The B stands for Brave
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
, Bold
Boldness
Boldness is an opposite of being shy. A bold person may be willing to risk shame or rejection in social situations, and willing to bend rules of etiquette or politeness. An excessively bold person could aggressively ask for money, or persistently push a person to fulfill some request, and so on...
, and Broadmindmain toped. Brats deal with new and exciting situations all the time, and learn quickly to accept people, regardless of race, color, creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
, country of origin
Country of origin
Country of origin , is the country of manufacture, production, or growth where an article or product comes from...
, or religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. The R stands for Resilient, Reliable, and Responsible. Brats bounce back from the turmoil inflicted upon them by their parents’ profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
. The A stands for Amiable, Adaptable, and Audacious. Brats learn to make friends quickly in new moves, and to be daring when they have to be....The T stands for Tenacious, Tough
Toughness
In materials science and metallurgy, toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing; Material toughness is defined as the amount of energy per volume that a material can absorb before rupturing...
, and Tolerant
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
. Brats hang in there when the going gets tough, and they also stand up for the beliefs of others. They have the opportunity to be minorities
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
themselves, sometimes by their race, but almost always as the new kids." This trend is also visible among notable and influential civilians: Senator Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....
, a member of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
, wrote "when the word 'brat' is used to describe someone it is not meant as a compliment, but when it is preceded by another word and becomes "military brat" it becomes a term of endearment." Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter said, "I married what is affectionately known as an Army brat." Senator John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
identifies himself as a military brat, and also identified Judge Janice Brown as one, during her confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Military culture has created numerous positive backronym
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
s (acronym-style derivations invented for existing words) for brat, such as "Born, Raised And Transferred" or "Brave, Resilient, Adaptable, and Trustworthy." While some may not like the origins of the term, most are comfortable with it.
Coining of the term "third culture kid" and early research on military brats
In the 1970s, sociologist Ruth Hill UseemRuth Hill Useem
Ruth Hill Useem was an American sociologist and anthropologist who introduced the concept of Third Culture Kid to describe children who spent part of their developmental years in a foreign culture due to their parents' working abroad...
coined the term "third culture kids" (TCKs) for a child who follows his parents "into another culture." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture." Globally, offspring of military households comprise about 30% of all TCKs, but they are almost exclusively from the U.S.
Start of Department of Defense research
Systematic research on individuals in such environments has been conducted since the 1980s. Responding to social and psychological issues recorded in military families and communities, the U.S. Armed Forces sponsored research on the long-term impact of growing up as a military dependent. Outside of the U.S. there is no significant literature on the effects of growing up as a military dependent.Clifton, Grace (2004) "Making the case for the BRAT (British Regiment Attached Traveller)" in British Education Research Journal, Vol 1 No 3 June 2004. p 458. Similarly reported in Ender (2002) p xxv. Since the Department of Defense does not track or monitor former brats, any study on adult brats is based upon self identification. Thus, even though the studies are performed using scientific sampling methodsScientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
, they may contain bias because of the difficulty in conducting epidemiological
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
studies across broad-based population samples
Sampling (statistics)
In statistics and survey methodology, sampling is concerned with the selection of a subset of individuals from within a population to estimate characteristics of the whole population....
. Some researchers used referrals, the Internet, and newspaper articles to identify military brats.
Research by Mary Edwards Wertsch: identification of military brat cultural identity
In 1991, Mary Edwards Wertsch "launched the movement for military brat cultural identity" with her book Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood inside the Fortress. In researching her book, Wertsch identified common themes from interviews of over 80 offspring of military households. While this book does not purport to be a scientific study, subsequent research has validated many of her findings. In the introduction to the book former military brat Patrick Conroy, the author of The Prince of TidesThe Prince of Tides
The Prince of Tides is a 1991 romantic drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Pat Conroy; the film stars Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte. It tells the story of the narrator's struggle to overcome the psychological damage inflicted by his dysfunctional childhood in South Carolina...
and The Great Santini
The Great Santini
The Great Santini is a 1979 film which tells the story of a Marine officer whose success as a military aviator contrasts with his shortcomings as a husband and father. The film explores the high price of heroism and self-sacrifice...
, wrote,
Military brat documentary Brats: Our Journey Home
In 2005 military brat and filmmaker Donna MusilDonna Musil
Donna Musil is an American documentary filmmaker, writer and activist exploring the subculture of U.S. "military brats".She wrote and directed the award-winning 2006 documentary Brats: Our Journey Home, a film about growing up the child of a military family and the effect it has on that child's...
released the first documentary ever made exclusively about military brats, Brats: Our Journey Home. To date, the documentary has won six film awards. Musil furthers the premise that military brats form a distinct American subculture with a commonly held sense of identity that is actually a distinct American ethnicity. The documentary also draws on many studies interviews of researchers, counselors and psychologists, along with interviews of numerous former military brats.
Perceived invisibility of military brat culture and experiences
Musil's documentary also highlights the feeling among many military brats that the culture and lives of military brats are largely invisible to most Americans. That some sparse and superficial aspects of military brat life may be known, but that a fuller sense of awareness of one of Americas largest (and oldest) subcultures is largely non-existent. The documentary starts with country music singer and former military brat Kris KristoffersonKris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
calling military brats "an invisible tribe" comprising 5% of the American population.
The documentary closes with another quote from former military brat and author Pat Conroy, who writes,
See also
- American military history
- Aramco bratsAramco bratsAramco brats is a nickname applied to the children of employees of Saudi Aramco oil company, some of whom may have been born in Saudi Arabia and others who came with their parents later in childhood....
- Brats in BattalionsBrats in BattalionsBrats in Battalions is the second album by punk band The Adolescents, which was released in 1987. This was the band's first album in six years.-Track listing:# "Brats in Battalions" - 2:33# "I Love You" - 4:14# "The Liar" - 1:59...
(album) - Camp followers
- Disenfranchised griefDisenfranchised griefDisenfranchised grief is a term describing grief that is not acknowledged by society. Examples of events leading to disenfranchised grief are the loss of a pet, a trauma in the family a generation prior, the loss of a home or place of residence Disenfranchised grief is a term describing grief that...
- Foreign Service bratForeign Service BratIn the United States a Foreign Service brat is a person whose parent served full-time in with the forces in a posting abroad during that person's childhood. The term brat is often thought of as derogatory; however, for some who have experienced this background, the term has a neutral feel and is...
- Global nomadGlobal nomadThe term Global Nomad can mean:*People with an international lifestyle, of multi-national background or living/working in more than one country:*People who grew up in a country other than their own *Existential migration...
- Itinerants
- Military brat (disambiguation)Military brat (disambiguation)A military brat is a term used in several English-speaking countries to describe a person who spends their childhood or adolescence living with parents who are active members of the Armed Forces.It may also refer to:...
page for several other uses of the term / related articles - Military dependent
- Missionary KidsMissionary KidsMissionary Kids are the children of missionary parents, and thus most were born and/or raised abroad...
- National Military Family AssociationNational Military Family AssociationThe National Military Family Association , headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private non-profit association organized to improve the quality of family life of all military personnel.-History:...
- Piper Reed, a series of books about a navy brat
- Third culture kids
- Unrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing up GlobalUnrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing up GlobalUnrooted Childhoods: Memoirs of Growing up Global is a book of memoirs of people who grew up in multiple countries, or moving frequently between distant regions within the same country, also known as third culture kids, and is edited by Faith Eidse and Nina Sichel...
Further reading
Books- Bonn, Keith. (2005) Army Officer's Guide: 50th Edition, Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3224-X
- Ender, Morten G. (ed.) (2002). Military Brats and Other Global Nomads: Growing Up in Organization Families. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-97266-6
- Ferguson-Cohen, MichelleMichelle Ferguson-CohenMichelle Ferguson-Cohen is a children's book author, illustrator and publisher. Her father is a career military officer and Vietnam veteran. As a military brat herself, many of the picture books she develops are written for and feature military brats....
(2001). Daddy, You're My Hero! and Mommy, You're My Hero! Brooklyn, NY: Little Redhaired Girl Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9729264-4-7 and ISBN 978-0-9729264-3-0 - Smith, Carolyn (ed.) (1996). Strangers at Home: Essays on the Effects of Living Overseas and Coming 'Home' to a Strange Land. New York: Aletheia Publications. ISBN 0-9639260-4-7
- Truscott, Mary R (1989). BRATS: Children of the American Military Speak Out. New York, New York: E. P. Dutton. ISBN 0-525-24815-3
- Wertsch, Mary EdwardsMary Edwards WertschMary Edwards Wertsch is an author, journalist, independent publisher and expert on the subculture of American military brats. She wrote the book Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress. This book is considered the seminal piece of literature dealing with the effects of growing up...
(1991). Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress, New York, New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-58400-X. Also, Saint Louis, MO: Brightwell Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-9776033-0-X.
Articles
- Cottrell, Ann (2002) "Educational and Occupational Choices of American Adult Third Culture Kids" in Ender (2002)
- Eakin, Kay Brennan (1996). "You can't go 'Home' Again" in Smith (1996)
- Eakin, Kay Brennan (undated). , U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
- Ender, Morten, "Growing up in the Military" in Smith (1996)
- Ender, Morten. "Beyond Adolescence: The Experiences of Adult Children of Military Parents" in Ender (2002)
- Jordan, Kathleen Finn (2002). "Identity Formation and the Adult Third Culture Kid" in Ender (2002)
- Price, Phoebe (2002). "Behavior of Civilian and Military High School Students in Movie Theaters" in Ender (2002)
- Tyler, Mary (2002). "The Military Teenager in Europe: Perspectives for Health care Providers" in Ender (2002)
- Watanabe, Henry (1985) "A Survey of Adolescent Military Family Members' Self-Image" Journal of Youth and Adolescence Vol 14 No 2 April 1985
- Williams, Karen and LisaMarie Mariglia (2002). "Military Brats: Issues and Associations in Adulthood" in Ender (2002)
External links
- Military Brat Life - an online magazine" This website has articles, essays, poetry and blogs about growing up as a child in a military family.
- "Brats: Our Journey Home" Award Winning Documentary about Military Brats Funded and produced by the Nonprofit organization, "Brats Without Borders"
- Military Brats Registry Podcast Military Brats Registry sponsored a series called "Every Brat has a story." These are interviews with famous and not-so-famous military brats.
- 17 Ways to Help Army Brats (Third Culture Kids) from TCKID, the community for TCKs
- Brats: Our Journey Home - Teleconference An Interview with Donna MusilDonna MusilDonna Musil is an American documentary filmmaker, writer and activist exploring the subculture of U.S. "military brats".She wrote and directed the award-winning 2006 documentary Brats: Our Journey Home, a film about growing up the child of a military family and the effect it has on that child's...