Enjoy!
You know you are a military brat if you . . .
. . . are amazed at people who have never left their hometown or have lived in the same place for more than 3 years.
. . . answer the question "where are you from" with "I'm kinda from all over the place."
. . . are able to imitate others' speech patterns easily.
. . . always wish you were back at the last place you were stationed even 20 years later.
. . . are initially confused when asked where you are from, and answer "I was born in TX but we moved here from CA and before that we lived in FL."
. . . can call up actual memories of a country while you're in geography class.
. . . cannot speak the language of the country in which you were born.
. . . can still convert foreign currency in your head.
. . can talk to anyone and everyone from anywhere and everywhere.
. . . find that everywhere you go, you see someone you went to school with.
. . . are brought to tears by military music.
. . . know the words and tune to military march songs.
. . . meet another military brat sometime somewhere and are instantly bonded.
. . . can identify ranks and duty stations by the stickers on a car's bumper or windshield.
. . . conceal your father's rank because once people find out he has stars they'll never treat you the same.
. . knew the rank and name of the kid next door's father before meeting the kid next door.
. . . remember that every room you've ever had was stark white and you couldn't put nail holes in the walls.
. . . . didn't save things so you wouldn't go over the weight allowance of the next move.
. . . had your introductory speech prepared and memorized for your first day at a new school.
. . . feel more at home on a military base than in town even though you've been a civilian for 26 years.
. . hear the sound of freedom when military aircraft fly by, while civilians complain about the noise.
. . . had classes interrupted by the roar of an entire wing of jets taking off in pairs
. . . feared turning 21 because they would take your ID card away.
. . . at age 22 are trying to find someone in the military to marry so you can get a new I.D. card.
. . . don't feel quite right seeing military personnel younger than you.
. . . enjoy seeing guys in fatigues on city streets because it makes you feel "at home".
. . get nostalgic when seeing O.D. Green or Navy Dungarees.
. . . feel more comfortable living near a military base and get bummed-out when a base gets closed.
. . . get the itch to move every 3-4 years and forever feel like the outsider in the civilian world.
. . . give someone a break because they are in the military.
. . . are going to a grocery store but call it the commissary.
…you go into culture shock upon returning to the States.
. . . graduated from a high school that you only attended for a year.
. . . had a supply of C-Rations or MRE’s that you traded with your friends.
. . . had Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in a mess hall.
. . . had a job delivering the Stars and Stripes.
. . . thought it was normal to have the newspaper editorial staff's names include their military ranks.
. . . have been asked just where in New York APO is.
. . . have to explain that being born in Germany does not make you German.
. . . have USAA as your insurance company.
. . . keep bumping into people all over the world who know friends that you haven't seen in years.
. . . have siblings who were born in various foreign lands or U.S. states.
. . . panic when you can't find your ID or passport.
. . . put your hand over your heart at 5 p.m. knowing the flag was coming down. . . somewhere.
. . . feel the need to stand up and recite the national anthem at the start of movies.
. . . remember being able to watch the Super Bowl or World Series live on TV at 2 am.
. . . start a major portion of your conversations with "when I was in. . .
. . . thought all pens had "US Government" printed on them.
Our son & his friends April 2007. This was his farewell party at NAS Lemoore, CA.
