‘Military Brat:’ Do You Know Where The Term Comes From?

DoDLive ^ | 4/13/2017 | Katie Lange

[carolinablonde]

We’ve all heard the term “military brat” before. It pertains to those children who grew up in military families. “Brats” wear the name like a badge of honor, often because of the moves, stressors and cultural experiences that make them more resilient than their civilian counterparts.

[carolinablonde]

I found this interesting having grown up on various Air Force bases during my childhood.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

My dad was a career Navy officer. I remember as a kid I, and most other brats, differentiated between ourselves and kids who were "civilians."

I was probably 12 or 13 before I realized that I wasn't exactly as much an officer and a gentleman as my dad.

[irishjuggler]

Seems like this article has some kind of questionable explanations. Use of the word ‘brat’ as slang for a child seems to go back at least to the 1500s, far beyond the proposed origins mentioned in this piece.

[Gman]

Yep. Born on the SF Presidio at the (old) Letterman Hospital.

[Gamecock]

I was born at Fort Riley, Kansas. Two of my little Army Brats were born in two different States and one was born overseas.

I have always taken pride in being an Army Brat, as do my children.

[Bob434]

“Son of a gun” apparently is a derogatory term that comes from the saying “Son of a gunner” ie military- navy I think- who would come to shore and have flings, and leave- the woman would get pregnant, and the son would be a ‘son of a gunner’

Not sure if htis is true- but heard it years ago-

[Menehune56]

That was an interesting read, thanks for posting it. I was an army brat although we only lived on one base (Fort Lewis early 1960s) and the rest of the time in the city. The main thing about being an army brat was moving every few years to an entirely new life and being the new kid in school all the time.

Here's my photo collection of military life in the Territory of Hawaii.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kamaaina56/albums/72157603885690963

[Windflier]

Army Brat 1st Class (ret.) here ;-)

1953 - 1967.

Sixteen different schools, between the ages of 5 and 14.

I wouldn’t trade my military childhood for the world. It was a wonderful community to grow up in.

[Skooz]

... having grown up on various Air Force bases during my childhood.

I was born on one and lived on them until my dad retired when I was 14.

A great place to be a kid.

[T-Bird45]

Interacting as a substitute teacher in an overseas DOD school with the “brats” may have been a factor behind my wife encouraging me to leave active duty as early as possible. Of course, no substitute teacher ever has it easy taking over a class. I went to college and ROTC with a few “brats” and had no issues with them at that age.

[trisham]

Navy bases.

[Windflier]

I remember as a kid I, and most other brats, differentiated between ourselves and kids who were "civilians."

Truth. I felt the same way, growing up on base.

I'll never forget starting junior high school. For the first time, I had to interact with kids from other branches of the service. It's funny now, but I remember being a bit troubled about my first girlfriend being Air Force .. LOL

[Windflier]

Born on the SF Presidio at the (old) Letterman Hospital.

Fort Ord Army hospital, here. That place is gone now, thanks to Bill Clinton.

[dangerdoc]

Born in Wichita Falls, brother born at Tripler, went to 10 different schools by the time I graduated.

Not sure it made me a better or stronger person, but constantly being the new kid at school does teach a few scrapping skills.

I broke the family tradition and did a stent in the Navy and waited to have kids until I left the service.

[AlaskaErik]

There were a number of military brats attending my high school. It was my interactions with them that made me decide a 20 year military career was not for me. Instead, I did six years in the Marine Corps and almost 26 more years in the Guard. This allowed me to have the best of both worlds...active duty status as a foundation and a Guard career that allowed me to be where I wanted to be and not where the military wanted me to be.

[razorback-bert]

I was a corporate brat.

[rlmorel]

I have always found it interesting that there are many who take exception to the term, but most who do were never military dependents.

Most of us who were, wear it as somewhat a badge of honor!

[BlueLancer]

I was born at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station Hospital in Rhode Island. The base has been closed for a number of years. In 1978, I went back to Rhode Island for MOS training and the only thing remaining was the water tower.

Also, family history is that when my dad's ship, the carrier TICONDEROGA, had a family day, I had my diapers changed on the flight deck ...

[LoneStarGI]

Air Force Brat checking in.

5 states and 3 foreign countries before my 13th birthday. Experiences that I treasure and believe contributed to making me who I am today. Loved my times overseas living as a ‘minority’, the American military kid in town.

[carolinablonde]

A great place to be a kid.

Agree wholeheartedly. Of course, I didn't know it at the time lol.

My family sometimes live on the base, sometimes didn't depending on the availability of housing. When we did, my sister and I had what I can now see was an amazing amount of freedom. We could get on the buses that came to the residential areas and go to the pool in the summer, the theater, the library. My mother did not worry about where we were or who we were with.

I guess she felt like an area that had armed guards with trained attack dogs patrolling the perimeter was pretty safe.