April is known as the Month of the Military Child, and every year you’ll see purple ribbons, school shoutouts, and social media posts recognizing their strength. All of that is good, but if we’re being honest, it barely scratches the surface of what military kids go through. This isn’t a once-a-year experience. It’s their everyday life.
Table of Contents
Moving Again and Again
For most families, moving is a big deal. For military kids, it’s routine. My oldest kids moved at least five or six times growing up, bouncing from Connecticut to San Diego to Nebraska, and even that is considered on the lower end for a military family. What military kids go through often starts with this reality of starting over, over and over again. A new school, new friends, and a new environment show up before they’ve even had time to settle into the last one.
April Recognizes Them, But They Live This All Year
April shines a light on military kids, but the reality is that what military kids go through doesn’t turn off on May 1st. They don’t suddenly stop adjusting, and they don’t suddenly gain stability. They just keep going, and most of the time they do it quietly.
The Part No One Sees: Time Without Dad
This is where what military kids go through becomes harder to put into words, because it isn’t just about moving. It’s about missing. I served on a submarine, which meant that when I was gone, I was really gone. No calls, no texts, no quick check-ins home. There were months with zero communication, and during COVID that stretched even further. At one point I went nearly a year without seeing my family.
Even Christmas wasn’t guaranteed. One year I thought he was finally coming home, but I got COVID and ended up spending the holiday alone in quarantine, calling home from a room far away. That phone call home is part of what military kids go through too.
When Home Doesn’t Feel Familiar
There’s a moment I remember that says everything. After one deployment, I came home to my young son, and for just a second he didn’t quite recognize me. It wasn’t dramatic, just enough to notice. When you’re gone for six months or longer, that’s a huge percentage of a young child’s life, and that’s what military kids go through when time apart becomes the norm rather than the exception.
The Tradeoff No One Talks About
Sometimes the kids didn’t move. They stayed put, which sounds easier until you realize what it actually meant: I was gone more often. Different version, same reality. Either way, what military kids go through includes long stretches without a parent, and there’s no version of this life where that part disappears.
Staying Connected However You Can
Military families figure it out because they always do. Sometimes that looks like playing video games together across time zones, sending quick messages when communication is possible, and holding onto small moments instead of big ones. It isn’t perfect, but it’s real, and it’s part of what military kids go through in a world that’s always shifting.
Why They Don’t Always Talk About It
I was asked recently if my kids reflect on all of this now. The truth is they don’t really, and it isn’t because it didn’t matter. It’s because it was normal. That’s the thing about what military kids go through: it becomes their baseline. They adapt early, learn flexibility, and build resilience without even realizing it, and most of the time they don’t make a big deal out of any of it.
One Child, A Completely Different Experience
My daughter is the only child I have who was born after my military career ended. She’s the only one I’ve been around for everything. That contrast is the part people don’t always think about, because what military kids go through isn’t just what happens. It’s also what doesn’t happen, including missed birthdays, missed school events, and missed everyday moments that can never be made up.
Why the Month of the Military Child Actually Matters
April matters, not because it changes anything overnight, but because it reminds people to notice. Behind every service member there’s a family, and behind that family are kids carrying more than most people realize. What military kids go through deserves more than a mention, or people wearing purple for one day. They deserve understanding and support from their communities, just as much as their military parent.
If You’re a Military Family Moving to Offutt Air Force Base
If you’re relocating to Offutt Air Force Base, here’s what matters most: your kids won’t be the only ones navigating this.
There are entire communities around the base filled with families who understand what military kids go through because they’re living it too. And that shared experience makes starting over just a little bit easier.
For some families, that starts with living right on base in places like Rising View, where military life is the norm and kids are constantly surrounded by others who just get it. You can take a closer look here:
👉 Rising View
Others choose nearby neighborhoods like Fairview Crossing, Hyda Hills, or Pilgrim’s Landing, areas where a strong military presence means kids are used to new faces, new friends, and helping each other settle in faster. You can explore those here:
👉 Neighborhoods near Offutt AFB where it’s easier for military kids to settle in
There’s no way to remove every challenge from what military kids go through, but being in the right environment can make all the difference.
Final Thought
Military kids don’t choose this life, but they live it fully. They adapt faster, grow stronger, and figure things out earlier than most. April is just a reminder of what they’ve been doing all along.
