All around the world, parents are sent off to defend the country; but while they’re fighting for our freedom, their kids stay home and hold down the family fort.  Numerous students in Air Academy are a part of a military family.  From constant moves to family members leaving for months at a time, these tough cookies do it all.

One Military kid, Jack Davis, says that he has learned all of his important lessons in life from his dad being in the military.  According to Jack, his dad has taught him that being humble in the ways you serve your country is a big deal.  Putting others before yourself goes a very long way.  Jack’s dad is a Marine and apparently loves it when Jack asks what he can do to help with dinner if he doesn’t have homework, or when he hears that Jack is respectful to his teachers.  Jack says that the most important values that he learned was how to be a leader.  Because his dad is a leader, Jack has seen it and knows how to apply that to his life.  

Because being in the military comes with challenges, Air Academy has developed a Military Club.  Every child that has grown up in a military lifestyle knows that there are some struggles that go along with it.  These struggles become especially hard for those in high school.

Kids who are constantly moving can feel like they don’t have a place where they belong.  The military club was installed to make sure that kids who don’t feel like they have a place are welcomed by other kids who feel the same way.  They have counselors that help students adjust to new schools, find new friends, and talk about any problems they might be having just in case they don’t have anyone else to turn to.  

The military club is also a great place to meet people who have shared the same experiences as you.  Lots of kids have lived on the same base at the same time and not even realized it!  Most kids have lived outside of the country in places like Germany or England.  From leaders who love to listen and people who want to connect, this club has it all.  

One thing that this club emphasizes is helping kids when parents are deployed.  A parent leaving the home, under any circumstance, is hard.  But when a parent is sent into battle, it makes it even harder.  These counselors provide a safe place to come for support, consoling those who are courageous enough to go to school and keep a normal life while their parents are on deployment.

The understanding of this life will be remembered forever.  Even the language that your parents use around the house is one that you will always feel comfortable around.  

Most important, you will feel a sense of community no matter where you are.  The military, although the branches joke about who is the best, will always be family to each other.  This is the same reason for things like the military club.  Wherever there is a chance to build community and make people feel welcome, the armed forces are all over it.  

So the next time you see a student in AAHS that you know is the child of the military say hello or tell them you’re thankful for what their parent does.  The parents might be the ones out defending our country, but these kids are along for the ride and help keep their parents strong.