CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Kubasaki High School students were served a barbecue lunch for Month of the Military Child April 10 at Kubasaki High School aboard Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan.
The barbecue was a way for the military community to thank the military children for persevering and adapting to the many challenges they face.
“It is important to support the military child because no one sacrifices more,” said Sgt. Maj. Jason Kappen, acting sergeant major of Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler and Marine Corps Installations Pacific. “They are forced to face the challenge of going to a new school, making new friends, and graduating from a new environment. We should give back and make them glad to be part of the community, even with the challenges they face.”
Military children do not get a choice about the lifestyle they live. When military members move to a new location, they can easily go right to work because what they do is the same at any location, the children through face a different challenge.
“In the military, we move around so much and the children end up having to adapt to new schools and friends every two to three years,” said Col. David Jones, deputy commander of MCB Camp Butler and MCIPAC. “The month of the military child really speaks about the resilience of military children. It is important to recognize and ensure the children know that we appreciate what they do. It’s not easy, from a military stand point, to have to start over from scratch every time their parents have to move or to continue on with their day-to-day activates when their parents are deployed.”
Military children are just as resilient and adaptable as their military parents. Children make the best of the military world with the many moves while they are in school, but also the deployments, duel military parents, and the different cultures they are exposure to. The military child is an honored member of the community and will continue to inspire everyone around them for their perseverance.