Portal:Military of the United States/Featured article/24

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A "military brat" is a person whose parent(s) served full-time in the armed forces during the person's childhood. In conventional usage, the word "brat" is derogatory; in a military context, however, it is neither a subjective nor a judgmental term. It is a term in which the military community takes pride. Although the term military brat is used in other English speaking countries, only the United States has studied their military brats as an identifiable demographic. This group is shaped by frequent moves, absence of a parent, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, the threat of parental loss in war, and the militarization of the family unit.

As adults, military brats share many of the same positive and negative traits developed from their mobile childhoods. Having had the opportunity to live around the world, military brats often have a breadth of experiences unmatched by most teenagers. Many are typically highly educated, outgoing, and patriotic. They have been raised in a culture that emphasizes loyalty, honesty, discipline, and responsibility.