Celebrating Military Brats Day: Honorning the Resilience of Children from Military Families

April 30 marks a special day dedicated to recognizing children from military families, known as “military brats.” While the term may have negative connotations at first glance, it is actually worn with pride by those who understand its meaning. Military brats are considered more resilient due to their frequent relocations and exposure to unique stressors and cultural experiences associated with a nomadic lifestyle, according to the Department of Defense (DoD) website.
The U.S. military comprises six branches: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Let’s take a brief look at each branch’s history.
Military Brats Day was officially recognized by Military Brats Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the culture and heritage of military families. The origin of this term is uncertain; however, Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Dunn proposed in 2011 that it may have stemmed from an expression coined by the British army. In his blog post published in 2011, he mentioned a book dating back to 1921 which explained BRAT as standing for “British Regiment Attached Traveler.” This status was assigned to families who could travel abroad with soldiers and later became associated with military children.
The DoD couldn’t locate the original source Dunn cited but still found his theory plausible. One of the earliest references to brats in a military context can be traced back to 1707, when a song was written for a satirical play titled “The Recruiting Officer.” The lyrics referred to soldiers’ families living outside barracks as being ‘brats and wives.’ However, it is still unclear whether the term applied only to children or had broader implications.
Another possible origin theory of military brat could have come from combining the words “barrack” and “rat,” according to Bloom Military Teens’ website. The phrase “barrack rat” was used in 18th century Britain to describe stories about life inside army barracks, with particular emphasis on children residing therein. Many people assume that as time passed by, the term ‘brat’ replaced this longer expression over time.
Regardless of its origins, Military Brats Day serves as a reminder to honor and celebrate military families who have sacrificed so much for their country.