Military brat might sound like a bit of a misnomer to someone not familiar with military culture, but here at MBG, we love military brats. No, a military brat isn’t an ill-mannered child of military personnel. The military brats we celebrate on April 30th, a.k.a Military Brats Day, are strong and courageous kids who serve the country in an incredibly unique way.

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What Is National Military Brats Day?

What is the meaning of military brat? It goes much further than just a kid whose parent is in the military. Military brats are resilient, strong, and resourceful, which is why we have this day to highlight their fortitude and spirit. Military Brats Day was only officially created in 2016. It was first developed by Military Brats, Inc. in the hopes that Congress would soon recognize the day in an official capacity. April 30th is celebrated as Military Brats Day because it is the last day of the Month of the Military Child, making it the ultimate celebration for our military kids! This day is important not only to recognize everything our military kids sacrifice and help achieve but also because there are just so many military brats out there. Did you know that approximately 1 in 25 Americans can call themselves a military brat? That’s a lot of people to celebrate! Whether you’re still a dependent of military personnel or you’re an adult who grew up as a military brat, this is a day to celebrate you and your contributions to the military.

Why Is the Dandelion a Symbol for Military Brats?

During the month of April, which is celebrated as the Month of the Military Child, we honor military kids across the nation in various ways. One of these ways is by promoting imagery of the military brat dandelion. If you’ve seen the dandelion floating across your social media posts or flyers around town during April, know that it’s the well-known symbol for military kids, especially on Military Brats Day. But what does a dandelion have in common with military kids? If you know anything about the plant itself, you’ll know that dandelions are incredibly resilient, hard to stifle, and can root themselves in nearly any environment anywhere. The same can be said for military brats. They have no say in where their military parents get posted, what part of the country they’re going to live in, or the culture they’ll be thrown into next. Military brats have to be adaptive to any and all possible environments as a result of their parents’ military careers.

Why Saying “I Am a Military Brat” Is a Good Thing

One of the strongest characteristics of military brats is their resolve. As their parents are often away on military duty, they have to learn to be their own support system most of the time, fend for themselves, and find innovative ways to solve problems when their military parent isn’t around. That’s why military brat life is so tough but also so respectable. On Military Brats Day, we recognize these sacrifices that many military kids have to make at such young ages in order to support their military parents in serving the country. Military Brats Day is yet another celebration we can use to honor those who aren’t in the service but who make up an integral part of the “total force” of the U.S. Armed Forces that allows our country’s military to be one of the strongest, most capable forces in the world.

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The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.