"Purple Up" in honor of military children

  • Published
  • By Mary Arnold
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Director of Psychological Health
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  April is Month of the Military Child, and this year I plan to wear purple as part of the "Purple Up" campaign April 15. Wearing purple is a symbol of honor for sacrifices made by military children; those in your family, those in your units, and those in your neighborhoods. They sacrifice for our country every day and deserve to be recognized.

Military life is not easy, with all the moves, deployments, long hours, and let's just say that service members' contracts are not like professional athletes who can rake in millions. And, all members of the family are affected by the challenges, including the children.

There are almost 2 million children in the United Sates, ranging from infants to 18 years old, with at least one, and often times both parents serving in the military. And these kids are amazing!

They are able to make new friends quickly, because they know they usually have a limited amount of time in a school or neighborhood. They are quick to invite others into their groups and are welcoming to all kinds of children. They seem to understand that although there may be many differences, they have a strong bond in being military kids.

Deployments are also a challenge that is part of military life.  These children often worry about losing their parent while they are away protecting the freedoms of all Americans.  Understanding the "big picture" may not be possible depending on their development, but ultimately, they get that their parent is doing something great.

Duty schedules, drill weekends, annual tours, exercises, deployments... these requirements are not scheduled around family activities. There are many missed birthdays, holidays, sporting events, dance recitals, band concerts, and family traditions. Service members and families all want to be together during these times and there are many emotions experienced if that isn't possible due to military commitments. But, military children don't dwell on the missed times. Instead, they look forward to the times when their parent is able to be there.

Military children are incredible because of their parents. They are taught that serving is a privilege and freedom is not something to be taken for granted. They know to immediately stop when the National Anthem plays and to be respectful to our flag. They understand tradition, integrity, courage, and to have pride in what they do.

April is Month of the Military Child. Honor your military children; those in your family, those in your units, and those in your neighborhoods. They sacrifice for our country every day and deserve to be recognized.

"Purple Up!" on April 15 by wearing purple in honor of our kids. Show them that you are aware and proud of the sacrifices they make and the strength they exhibit while doing it.