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MCWE Definition of The Military Children
Military Children (The Present Experience) "Military Children” refers to all youth currently living the experience of being raised in military-connected families, which includes:
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Children of Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve service members
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Children of Veterans (post-service parents, even if born after military service are still shaped by that legacy)
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Adoptive, stepchildren and under guardianship in military families
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Children of divorced military families across households and even multi-generational military families (grandchildren of service members)
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Children of Gold Star Families (KIA/POW/MIA legacy children)
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Children connected to service through caregiving roles (caring for siblings, parents, or grandparents affected by service)
- These children are living it now, whether through daily deployments, frequent moves, or simply carrying the heritage of service into their youth
MCWE Definition of The Military Child
The Military Child (The Lifelong Identity)
“The Military Child” represents the enduring identity carried into adulthood. Even when one is no longer a dependent, the experience of being raised in a service-connected household becomes a lifelong part of who they are.
This includes:
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Adults who grew up as military children, whether their parents served in WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm, OIF/OEF, or today.
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Veterans’ children who may have been born after service, but still live with the values, traditions, and challenges of the military legacy.
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Those who carry forward the memory of sacrifice, such as KIA/POW/MIA children.
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Generations of families where grandparents, parents, and now grandchildren share the military child experience.
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They are not just “former military kids.” They are and always will be "The Military Child."
- These children are living it now, whether through daily deployments, frequent moves, or simply carrying the heritage of service into their youth.
They are not just “former military kids.” They are and always will be "The Military Child."
Why We Honor the Military Child - Across Generations
Rich in Legacy. Rooted in Belonging. Rising as One.
At the Military Child World Expo, in alignment with America 250, we honor the fullness of the Military Child experience, both now and across time.
We recognize:
The Military Children of Today
Those who are living the reality of movement, transition, service, and resilience right now, building identity, care, and community in real time.
The Military Child Across a Lifetime
Rich in Legacy. Rooted in Belonging. Rising as One.
Those who have grown into adulthood, yet carry with them the memory, pattern, and cultural shaping of military-connected upbringing, a legacy that continues long after childhood.
This recognition honors all who share this identity, including:
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Active duty, Guard, and Reserve families
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Veteran and retired families
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Gold Star and survivor families
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Families shaped by divorce, dual-service households, adoption, guardianship, and blended service identity
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Multi-generational lineages of military service
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Those who served as caregivers to family members affected by service
Because the story of the Military Child is not defined by age.
It is a cultural identity carried across place, memory, and generation.
A Legacy Older Than the Nation Itself
Rich in Legacy. Rooted in Belonging. Rising as One.
"From the earliest militias to today’s global service branches, military children have always carried memory, care, and continuity. They have always walked beside the mission. The Military Child is not simply shaped by service, they shape the meaning of service across generations."
The Military Child is:
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A carrier of story
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A steward of family identity
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A stabilizer in uncertainty
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A bearer of continuity and care
And when they grow, they remain:
Torchbearers of who we have been, and who we are becoming.
This is why we celebrate both.
Rich in Legacy. Rooted in Belonging. Rising as One.
Because the legacy of the Military Child does not begin and end in childhood, It lives on in adulthood, family, culture, art, leadership, memory, and voice.
This is not simply recognition.
This is belonging honored.
This is heritage remembered.
This is legacy carried forward.