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As April progresses, the sun has become a more frequent visitor in recent days. Roars of celebration for spring break and children’s laughter hang in the pollen-laden air. The KMC is taking advantage of this time to honor the children of servicemembers.
This April marks the 25th anniversary of the Month of the Military Child, which focuses on recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of the 1.8 million children of U.S. military members around the globe. This tradition was brought to life by former Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger in 1986.
Throughout the month there are several events planned in the KMC the whole family can participate in.
“Each of our programs in the Airman and Family Services Flight has special events lined up in support of our military children,” said Josie Cordova, 86th Force Support Squadron, Airman & Family Services Flight.
The finale on April 30th is an outdoor children’s festival at Pulaski Park designed to include the whole family. The festival will feature information booths, sumo wrestling, a hula hoop contest, a cake walk, free food, entertainment and crafts for all ages.
“The Month of the Military Child event is a joint planning effort between the 86th Force Support Squadron and the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern that takes about seven months to complete,” said Josie Cordova. Planning for this month’s events began in October 2010, she said.
The hosting park also features a “boundless playground,” which is suited for all children, to include exceptional family members. This will be the one-year anniversary of its opening.
Since its inception, Month of the Military Child has grown in size and participation. The KMC has a unique advantage, because of the joint service community between the Air Force and Army bases in the area.
“The Army has been doing this since 1986. It started out small, but over the years it got bigger and bigger, now it has turned into an entire community event,” said Mark Cobb, Vogelweh Youth Programs director. “We wanted to show the community what the Army and Air Force could bring if we worked together.”
There are 1.8 million children of U.S. military members worldwide, and nearly 10,000 of them live within the KMC. These kids face a different set of challenges than civilian kids do, like multiple moves, living in foreign countries, and parents who are often absent due to training, TDYs and deployments.
“The stress faced by today’s military families is incredibly difficult, children especially face amazing pressure. Deployments and PCS [moves] are things that the average child and family do not have to endure. Military families endure these stresses in addition to the normal stressors faced by the average family,” said Ms. Cordova.
This month’s events are held to recognize the hardships and sacrifices military children face – the resilience they show on a day-to-day basis has not gone unnoticed.
“We work hard to ensure our programs are meaningful to families and provide outlets for them to come together outside the home and really enjoy each other’s company. Since our Kaiserslautern community is so diverse, this ‘purple’ community event allows families to meet new people and make new friends they may not otherwise have interacted with,” Ms. Cordova said. “I am proud to be a part of it.”
