[SandRat]

Military Brat PING

[Lunatic Fringe]

Wertsch, who wrote "Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress," lived in 20 houses and attended 12 schools during her father's career as an Army infantryman.

I got her beat. I am a military brat from a broken home: 21 schools before graduating high school.

[Jemian]

This is old news. She is describing what is more properly called Third Culture Kids. This is a child who spends a significant part of his/her growing up years in a culture outside of the parents' culture of origin. Kids who fall into this category are international businessmen's kids, state department kids and missionary kids, just to name the obvious. These kids carry part of their home culture with them and part of the guest culture with them but don't really fit in either. Refer to the work of Ruth Van Renken and Dave Pollock for more information.

I just watched my daughter, a TCK herself, instantly bond with another TCK. Neither girl had seen each other before; they had grown up on different continents. But there were more jokes, shared experiences and understood implications that my daughter has experienced so far since she's come back to the States to college.

Being a TCK isn't bad. It is just different.

[Drango]

Brat bump!

[frankiep]

I'm not in the Army anymore. But I had always told myself that I would never get married and start a family until after I got out. I saw waaaaayyyy too many screwed up marriages, and messed up kids in the years I was in to ever want to bring that on myself.

Not saying that everyone was like that, but the bad certainly did seem to outweigh and outnumber the good.

[Drango]

If I can bump for a group that is providing ministry work to military Brats http://www.mcym.org

It is a combination of Young Life, Youth for Christ and National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministries! Truly nondenominational. Send 'em a buck if that is where God is leading you to.

[Scribbz]

I love it!

I am going to buy the book.

[Air Force Brat]

Brats Unite!

Looks as if I'll have to check this book out...

[FDNYRHEROES]

Any former military brats calling for Rummy's resignation yet?

[ops33]

I started first grade in Poitiers, France in 1958. Anybody else out there went to school in Poitiers?

[zeaal]

Brat and proud of it as it honors my father's 27 years of service to our country.

[GoldMan]

Air Force Brat here.
My Dad was a bomber engineer/turret gunner in WWII
He flew 50 missions and joined the "Lucky Bastards" club.
I lived in........
Sacramento California '59 - '62 McClellan AFB
Springfield, Ohio '61 - '62 Wright Patterson AFB
Wiesbaden, Germany '62 - '65 Wiesbaden AFB
Springfield Ohio '65 - '66 Wright Patterson AFB
Newburgh, New York '66 - '68 Stuart AFB
Tempe, Arizona 1968 - now Williams AFB
It was quite an experience but...I won't ever move again!

[BamaDi]

Please add me to your ping for Military Brats - AF brat & proud of it....

[warchild9]

My wife read the book and had soooo many "Aha! That explains it!" moments.