Military Brats Day: Honoring Children of Service Members with Appreciation for Their Nomadic Lifestyle and Sacrifices

April 30 is recognized as Military Brats Day, a holiday that honors children from military families with the nickname “brat” given out of appreciation rather than negativity according to the Department of Defense (DoD) website. This term originated due to the nomadic lifestyle and frequent relocations experienced by these kids who also face unique stresses and cultural experiences as part of living on military bases.
The unofficial holiday, recognized in 2015 by Military Brats Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the heritage and culture of those raised within the armed forces community, is an opportunity for society at large to acknowledge these families’ sacrifices made in service to their country. The exact origin of “brat” as applied to military children remains uncertain but it may have derived from a British Army phrase called ‘British Regiment Attached Traveler’, assigned during WWI and used again around WWII. One popular theory involves its coalescence through joining words “barrack” with ”rat”, denoting offspring raised inside an army camp since “barracks rat” was a term for children living in military barracks as far back as the late 18th century, according to Bloom Military Teens.
The U.S Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard form part of America’s armed forces with each branch having its unique history dating from their respective origins: The United States Army was founded in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War; the Marines were established two years later by a congressional act. In contrast, both the Navy (established on October 13th, 1775) and Air Force (formed from the U.S. Army Air Forces on August 1st, 1947), have their roots in earlier organizations that predate these dates by several years or decades respectively; while Space Force is relatively new – created via Congressional approval to separate its operations from those of the US Air Force and officially established as a sixth branch of the U.S Armed Forces on December 20th, 2019.
Military Brats Day serves not only as an opportunity for society at large but also military families themselves to reflect upon their unique experiences while acknowledging the sacrifices made by parents in serving and defending America’s values across national borders; thereby further solidifying their rightful place within our communities deserving of respect, admiration and gratitude.