2024/Katelyn-

I am not like other military children. I've been in Okinawa for 14 years for reference, I'm 18. My step dad, a retired marine, did 31 years in the military which is the reason I was brought back to Oki. I have only lived in the states for four years of my life starting at the age of four and leaving at the age of eight. Military life was hard when I first moved back to Okinawa. I wasn't used to my best friend leaving every other year, again and again on repeat. It was tiring having to figure out who is a good enough person to be friends with and then on top of that them moving in a year or so it didn’t help much. To be a military child you have to get used to being alone.

Being a military child isn’t all negative, I learned that family is really important. Although kids didn’t have a choice in staying or going. We as military children sacrifice a normal life of a state's kid, however we are protected as military children. We’re protected from school shootings, we're in a safer place from Covid-19 outbreaks, Japan is a safer environment for children to grow without worries. We sacrifice seeing our family members on a daily basis to gain safety and stability not just for us but for our country.

As a child of the military I am grateful for the benefits we gain, traveling around the Pacific, health care, college payments, and more. Although being a military child taught me to never get attached to people, it also taught me how to grow up quickly and be mature. I wouldn’t change a thing about being in the military because I’ve got to experience things kids in the states have not and might never get to experience. I believe that being in the military helped me figure out I want to travel with my life, and never be stuck in one place. I’ve learned to love the people I meet until it’s time for goodbye.