The Life of a “Military Brat”

Stories behind the students whose parents serve our nation 

Rachel Cepe / Contributor / The USD Vista

The word “brat” is often associated with an image of a spoiled and stuck up young child that often whines when they don’t get the toys they want or when someone tells them “no.” However, when the word military is put in front of the word “brat” the whole narrative changes.

 A “military brat” is a child who has one or more parents in active, full-time duty. With this life comes frequent moving every couple of years, separation from parents, and having to adapt to a new area or lifestyle. According to the USD Military and Veterans Program, over 800 students at USD have a military connection. Each one brings their own story that may influence their life at the university 

Moving is one of the biggest challenges for military brats. “‘How do I get adjusted to where I’m at now?,” is a question USD sophomore, John Grady, often asked himself  while he moved all over the country with his family due to the status of his father who is in the navy. 

Grady, along with many others, experienced more difficulty making long term friends as a child because moving would happen every three to four years or so.

“It sucked I had to move away from people every couple years but because of that I learned really quickly how to connect with people and make friends,” Grady said. 

Transitioning to college was easier for him because of all the moves he’s made; from living on the East Coast in states like Maryland to living on the West Coast in San Diego adapting to new areas became a ritual that occurred every couple of years.  In addition, Grady is happy to be attending USD. Despite the frequent moving,  he had the opportunity to decide what school he wanted to attend without having to worry about in and out of state tuition.

 Similarly, being separated from a parent due to the military is also another challenge. For USD senior, Mary-Logan Miske, both of her parents have  connections  to the military and she often had to move and be separated from her father at a young age. 

“I felt at a disadvantage because I was down one parent for a while,” Miske said. “Being put into one place then having to move into another because you have to adapt to a new environment, new school, new house, new friends, so it can be really difficult. But I didn’t realize how much of a blessing it was.”

Despite all the challenges she encountered due to growing up in a military family, it also made her transition to college much easier. 

During the start of college, Miske found value within her past experiences moving when it came to being around her friends who were homesick – it was their first time starting a new life – but nothing was new for her. 

At USD, Miske has a work-study position at the Veterans center and enjoys connecting with students, veterans, and active-duty individuals. 

USD junior, Jonah Wright, is from a family where all adult figures were a part of the military. Although they did not have to face the struggles of moving or being relocated every couple of years, there are still adversities growing up.

“The challenges of a military family for me is the stress it puts on my parents,” Wright stated. “It consumed a large part of their life so it was hard for them to come home and turn off that part and turn on the family part.” 

Wright also emphasized the opportunity to be connected to Nelson Chase, the director of the Military and Veterans program. Chase helps students easily connect with Veterans Affairs, which can play a key role in financing school for military connected students.

With the program, students from the military background are able to gain access to resources and even attend events for them to meet one another. 

Military brats are nothing like your typical brat – they have all endured countless difficulties from a young age and they make up a sizable population at USD. They each bring along different backgrounds and stories. 

The community continues to build connections with one another on campus. With it’s growing presence and recognition, new military- connected students are able to find a welcoming place  as students like Grady, Miske, and Wright have. They share their stories and bring light to the life of a military brat.