Growing up in the Military way was always interesting, never knowing whenyour parents were going to tell you, it was time to move, or having to make new BEST Friends, but I'll tell you, it's the best life out there.

Where else can you get a real education in life, meet interesting people and learn all you'll ever need to know to become an adult?

My father was in the Air Force 20+ years, but retired with a Medical Discharge, devastated. I couldn't finish my last year of school abroad, but I realized I still had my dad, so who cares about graduating from school in Europe. Now grown and getting out on my own, I started looking for people of my CULTURE, other Military Brats--someone who has a common background as I.

At first, I had no luck, then my first real job--I went to work for the Department Of Defense as a Civil Service Employee. Not quite the same, but at least I felt a connection. Then at 21, I met a young man, who just happens to have been ACTIVE DUTY ARMY, YAHOO!, and is now in the RESERVES. Close enough, and we hit it off, got married three years later, and now 15 years down the road, we have two children and we are still together.

My husband is in the Reseves and is up for Lt Col. I feel even though civilian life is good, Military life teaches us respect for things whether they are material or verbal. You tend to put every effort into a task because you are not sure of how long you will have to do it, verses, "Oh I'll get around to that," because I know I'm not going anywhere.

I wish my kids could experience the kind of life I had as a teen, just to show them that what we get out of life, is what we make it ourselves.