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"I'm a Military Brat. I'm Also a Nerd. For the First Time, I Don't Have to Choose."
- Military Children Six Foundation
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
BRAT CODE | 8 Part Series | #2
By Alex Chen, 16, military brat (currently stationed at Fort Liberty, MC, for now)
I've lived in seven places. Four countries. Attended nine schools if you count the two mid-year transfers.
When people find out I'm a military brat, they always say the same thing: "Wow, you must be so adaptable!"
Sure. I've adapted.
I've adapted to being "the new kid" so many times I've perfected the first-day-of-school script. I've adapted to eating lunch alone while I figure out the social ecosystem. I've adapted to saying goodbye to friends I'll probably never see again.
But here's the part no one talks about:
I've also adapted to splitting myself in half.
The Identity Split
At school, I'm "the military kid."
Teachers introduce me that way. "Class, this is Alex. His dad is in the Army, so let's make him feel welcome."
Students look at me like I'm a walking documentary. They ask questions: "Have you been to war?" (No, I'm 16.) "Do you get to shoot guns?" (Also no.) "Is it true you move every year?" (Close enough.)
I'm a military kid. That's the label. That's the box.
But on base, at the youth center, I'm "the gamer kid."
I show up to events with my laptop covered in anime stickers. I talk about the Minecraft server I'm coding. I mention I'm learning Unreal Engine.
The other military kids, the ones on the football team, the ones prepping for JROTC, the ones who fit the "normal military kid" mold, look at me like I'm from a different planet.
"You code? Like... for fun?"
Yeah. For fun. While you're at practice, I'm building mods. While you're at drill, I'm in my room designing a game about... well, about being a military kid, actually. But they don't know that.
And then there's Comic-Con.
Last summer, my dad was stationed in San Diego. We went to San Diego Comic-Con. I cosplayed as Miles Morales (because, I mean, biracial kid navigating multiple identities—obviously).
For three days, I was just... Alex. The guy who loves Spider-Verse. The guy who spent two months making web-shooters that actually light up. The guy who knows every line from Into the Spider-Verse.
No one asked about my dad's rank. No one asked if I've moved a lot. No one cared that I was "the military kid."
I was just... a geek. And it was perfect.
Except.
Except I was also the only military kid in my cosplay group. The only one who had to check the PCS schedule before committing to next year's con. The only one whose dad might deploy mid-campaign season.
So here's where I've lived for 16 years:
At school: The military kid (who happens to like weird stuff)
On base: The weird kid (who happens to be military)
At cons: The geek kid (who happens to move a lot)
I've spent my entire life being "military kid who also..." or "nerd who happens to be..."
Never both. Never fully. Always split.
The Moment Everything Changed
Three weeks ago, I was doomscrolling Instagram at 1 AM (healthy, I know) when I saw a post.
MILACON: The Comic-Con for Military-Connected STEM Creators
I stopped scrolling.
I read it again.
"Military-connected." Check.
"STEM creators." Check.
"Comic-Con." CHECK.
Robotics zone. Cyber challenges. Gaming arena. Cosplay showcase. Coding competitions.
And then I saw the tagline:
"No ranks. No structure. Just community."
I'm not gonna lie. I cried.
Not like... sobbing. But that quiet kind of crying where you didn't realize how much you needed something until you see it exists.
Because for the first time in my entire life, someone built a space that wasn't:
Military kids (who are expected to be into sports/patriotism/JROTC)
OR geek kids (who don't understand the PCS life)
MILACON is both.
It's the intersection I've been living in, alone, for 16 years.
Why This Matters (More Than You Think)
I know what you're thinking. "It's just a convention/Expo. Why is this such a big deal?"
Because when you're a military kid, you don't get to keep your communities.
Let me explain.
When "normal" kids find their people, their robotics team, their D&D group, their gaming squad, they get to keep them. They build something together over years. They have inside jokes that span middle school through high school. They plan to go to the same college.
When military kids find their people, we get 18-24 months. Maybe less.
I've been on three robotics teams. I've started four D&D campaigns (finished zero). I've joined five Discord servers for game devs where I'm the only one who's ever had to explain "PCS."
Every time I find my people, I lose them.
So, you adapt. You stop investing. You protect yourself.
You become "the military kid who also likes this stuff" instead of "part of the community."
Because being part of the community hurts when you know you're leaving.
What MILACON Actually Means
MILACON isn't just "a convention/Expo for military kids who like STEM."
It's a community that moves with you.
Think about it:
The robotics team I had to leave in Germany. They might be at MILACON.
The gamer I met in South Korea who's now at Camp Pendleton? He might be there too.
The military brat I played Minecraft with three duty stations ago. MILACON is where we finally meet IRL.
It's not a community I'll lose when we PCS. It's a community that understands PCS is part of the identity.
The Both/And Instead of Either/Or
I'm signing up as a MILACON Founding Inductee.
Not because I want to be "the military kid at the geek con" or "the geek kid at the military thing."
But because I want to be both. Fully.
I want to walk into a space and not have to explain:
Why I know military time and modular programming
Why I can name every Marvel character and every military base in Japan
Why my cosplay attention to detail comes from growing up around uniforms
Why my game design centers on themes of adaptation and belonging
I want to meet other military kids who:
Code while their parent is deployed
Cosplay characters who are also "caught between worlds"
Build robots in three different countries
Play D&D campaigns via Discord because their party is spread across four time zones
What I'm Bringing to MILACON
My cosplay: Upgrading to Peter B. Parker Spider-Man (the tired, dimension-hopping one, because obviously)
My project: The game I've been building, "PCS: The Game" (working title). It's about a military kid who has to rebuild their life in different worlds. Each level is a different duty station with different mechanics. I'm showcasing it in the Gaming Zone.
My hope: That I'll meet other military brat game devs, coders, and creators who get it. Who understand that "resilience" isn't a superpower, it's what happens when you have to rebuild your life seven times before you're old enough to drive.
To Every Military Kid Reading This
If you've ever felt like you had to choose,
Between being "the military kid" or being "yourself"
Between fitting in on base or fitting in with your actual interests
Between your family's identity and your own
You don't.
MILACON is the both/and.
Military brat AND geek.
Resilient AND creative.
Shaped by service AND building the future.
For the first time, I don't have to split myself in half.
I can be both. Fully.
That's what MILACON means to me.
April 25, 2026
I'm going. Obviously.
My dad's checking the leave schedule. My mom's already planning the drive to Arlington.
If you're reading this and thinking "Wait... that's me. That's exactly me."
You're a MILACON kid.
Come find me at the Cyber Zone. I'll be the one in Spider-Man cosplay debugging Python code.
Let's build something together. And this time, we won't have to say goodbye in 18 months.
MILACON | Military Child World Expo | April 25, 2026 | 2799 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202 | 10 AM - 6 PM
Founding Inductee registration open now.
See you there.
— Alex
SHARE THIS IF:
You're a military kid who feels this
You know a military kid who needs to hear this
You've ever had to choose between parts of yourself
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