Month of the Military Child | A Salute to their Readiness and Resilience
April 1, 2015
At United Through Reading, April is a special month. This month, we join the nation in celebrating the children in military families and acknowledge the commitment, contribution and sacrifice they make for our nation. We have the privilege of serving military children all year round at UTR, so we know first hand that they are proud, they are brave, they are ready, and they are resilient. As we interact with this community of children often, we are mindful of the challenges that they face, and this month we salute them for all that they endure; we applaud them for their strength and sacrifice.
There are approximately 2 million military children, and 1.3 million military children are school-aged. The life they live as military children make them more prone to stress and anxiety, and when we consider what they face, it’s easy to see why. However, studies show that military children are also quite resilient in the face of those demanding pressures. It’s true, the challenges and hardships that military families face are very real. In fact, did you know that from the onset of Operation Enduring Freedom, in October 2001, through April 2010, 3,714 military children under the age of 18 lost a service member parent? And in total, more than 41,000 children had a service member parent who was wounded, injured or ill.
It’s clear that military children are resilient and strong. They haven’t asked to be a member of the military community, they are simply born into national service and yet they serve valiantly.
In this United Through Reading video, three military children—Sophia, Lucas, and Annabel—tell us about their experience with UTR, and it gives us a little glimpse into their world as military children and what it’s like to deal with being apart from someone they love so much.
Join us in saluting military children this month. If you are interested in helping to support United Through Reading in our effort to serve military children and connect them with their parents across countries and oceans, visit us online to learn more.