By Congressman Tom Cole
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan’s former Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, formally established the month of April as the Month of the Military Child. Ever since then, the DoD has joined national, state, and local governments, schools, military serving organizations, companies, and all Americans in recognizing the over 1.6 million children of our courageous men and women in uniform every April.
As the son of a career U.S. Air Force noncommissioned officer, I grew up as a military child myself. My late father, John Cole, bravely served in the United States Air Force for twenty years and worked an additional two decades as a civilian federal employee at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He lived a selfless life for both our family and our country, and I could not be prouder to be his son.
Through this experience growing up, I know firsthand the unique circumstances and exponential sacrifices that the children and families of those who serve our nation face daily. Many watch their parents leave home to serve overseas, many relocate every few years when it is time to change duty stations, many celebrate milestone events without the presence of a parent, and, unfortunately, some have even lost a parent in the line of duty. It is most definitely the truth that being a part of a military family includes its own particular level of service and sacrifice without ever physically wearing the uniform.
Yet, at the same time, being a military child is something to be proud of. To have the opportunity to catch a front row view of the selfless burden carried by our military to preserve and defend our freedom is an honor. Our military is the most lethal, toughest, and fiercest fighting force in the world – and that wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t also have the best and most supportive military families in the world.
In conclusion, this month, and every month, remember to honor our nation’s military children and commend their unsung sacrifices. They truly know the meaning of service and it is only right that we spend this April honoring them.
