They’ve endured frequent strikes, lengthy separations from one — or each — dad and mom, had their lives upended by a worldwide pandemic and, in at the very least two instances, battled probably life-threatening sicknesses.
But throughout a visit to Washington, D.C., final week to be honored as Operation Homefront’s Army Youngster of the 12 months, seven younger army dependents representing every of the army branches confirmed all of the ebullience and moxie that Protection Division leaders dream could possibly be bottled and offered to potential recruits.
“They’re students, athletes, musicians, flight leaders, Eagle Scouts and staff captains. They’re downside solvers, artistic thinkers and nice dreamers. … We as a society want extra residents who assume and act like our army kids who perceive that public service is certainly an honorable factor and so they perceive it on a special degree,” Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Christopher Grady mentioned Thursday throughout an award ceremony for the honorees.
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This yr, Operation Homefront, a nonprofit group devoted to supporting army households, selected 5 highschool seniors and two juniors to symbolize the most effective of army dependents for the varied branches of the armed forces, together with the Army, Navy, Air Pressure, House Pressure, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Nationwide Guard.
The honorees included six kids of officers and one baby of an enlisted Marine, 5 whose dad and mom had been lively obligation and two of army retirees; two from dual-service households and at the very least 5 whose great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or different members of the family served.
Two plan to pursue careers in drugs, one is presently weighing which Ivy League faculty he might attend, and two have dedicated to or are contemplating army service, together with Jemma Bates, whose army profession will begin in 10 weeks on Induction Day on the U.S. Naval Academy.
When requested why she strove to attend her dad’s alma mater, the place he presently serves as chief of workers, Bates mentioned the establishment best-suited her targets to grow to be a army chief and Navy pilot.
“It sounds sort of tacky, however I am drawn to the army’s dedication to excellence, to do good, to serve, to persevere,” Bates mentioned throughout an interview with Army.com.
The award ceremony is held every year to acknowledge younger army dependents who’ve succeeded in lecturers, management, extracurriculars, as volunteers or within the office, all whereas going through the challenges of army household life.
For Hayley Schreiner, that included rising up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the place her mom, Nicole, works as a civilian for the U.S. House Pressure, and her father, Col. Robert Schreiner, pursues his profession, typically away for numerous assignments as a geo-bachelor.
With that association, Col. Schreiner has been gone for roughly 1 / 4 of Hayley’s life.
“It wasn’t so onerous after I was younger,” Hayley Schreiner advised Army.com, “however my dad and I’ve gotten a lot nearer, so it has been tougher.”
Every of the honorees has excelled in lecturers, however all even have thrived outdoors of faculty, discovering actions which have carried them by from faculty to highschool, obligation station to obligation station.
Universally, all cited discovering their pursuits and pursuing them as instrumental in serving to them keep grounded all through their childhood and teenage years that included the COVID-19 pandemic and army separations, together with fight deployments.
“There’s not loads of fixed if you find yourself a army child, so I like to recommend benefiting from each alternative you are given,” mentioned Jackson Griggs, whose father, Col. Robert Griggs, serves within the Army Nationwide Guard.
Griggs, considered one of two honorees who plans to pursue drugs, discovered his tribe in cross nation working, regardless of having an autoimmune dysfunction that may trigger muscle weak point.
“Operating was one thing I by no means envisioned myself doing — I used to be medevaced from Romania to Vienna after which [the] College of Alabama Birmingham, the place they advised me that I most likely would stroll with a limp or have bother climbing the steps,” Griggs mentioned.
As a substitute, he’ll be heading to the College of Alabama Huntsville the place he’ll run observe and examine biology.
Right here is Operation Homefront’s 2023 Army Youngster of the 12 months for every service:
Louis Geer, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Air Pressure
Geer’s largest problem of his younger life was his father’s army retirement to San Antonio, the place he enrolled in a constitution faculty targeted on his tutorial passions of science and math. A whiz child on the faculties he beforehand attended, Geer discovered himself behind in coursework.
He took Algebra 2 in summer time faculty to verify he was on observe together with his classmates and made mates competing in Science Bowl.
An Eagle Scout on the high of his class, Geer is a Nationwide Advantage finalist, completed pianist and a musical composer.
This month, Geer will tour the College of Pennsylvania, Brown College and Vanderbilt College earlier than deciding the place he’s headed subsequent yr.
“Discover completely different fields. It is not simple to seek out what you’re good at if you have not tried issues. See what you want and dislike,” Geer mentioned.
Mackenzie Hanna, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Army
The daughter of two retired Army lieutenant colonels, Hanna’s great-grandfathers served in World Struggle II, her grandfathers served within the Army and Air Pressure, and she or he has numerous kinfolk who served.
She cites the self-discipline and devotion to God, nation and obligation as her pillars for pursuing excellence. Like Geer, one of many largest challenges she has confronted was her dad and mom’ retirement and their closing transfer to a Massachusetts city the place her new classmates had recognized one another since kindergarten — a troublesome place to make new mates.
However her church’s youth group and college swim staff offered alternatives to carve out her house. A senior, Hanna is co-captain of the swim staff and can head to the Honors School on the College of South Carolina the place she plans to main in human organic sciences to pursue a medical profession.
“Discover one thing you’re keen about and be open to making an attempt new issues,” Hanna beneficial.
Haydn Jones, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Coast Guard
One in every of two highschool juniors within the group and the kid of two army dad and mom, Jones virtually cannot be thought-about a junior, since he’ll full all the necessities for graduating from highschool this spring.
Jones relocated from Elizabeth Metropolis, N.C., to Michigan’s Higher Peninsula the primary summer time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this yr, he’ll transfer once more to the Washington, D.C., area. For that reason, he plans to remain at house his senior yr, concentrating on actions just like the Civil Air Patrol and Sea Scouts BSA.
His aim is to serve within the army as a pilot, like his mom, or an engineer, like his father.
In his quick highschool profession, Jones established a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at his highschool and earned varsity letters in cross nation, soccer, and swimming and diving.
Just like the others, he recommends getting concerned, however he additionally says having a optimistic outlook — one thing he labored on whereas his dad and mom had been deployed on the similar time and when his dad battled leukemia — helps tremendously.
“Staying optimistic. It is what you need to do,” Jones mentioned.
Hannah Marie Tokiwa, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Marine Corps
Hannah Marie Tokiwa had been hanging out with the opposite Army Youngster of the 12 months awardees for days earlier than she discovered she was the one enlisted dependent within the group.
“My dad advised me final evening,” she mentioned throughout an interview with Army.com. “I had no concept. It is probably not one thing I believed a lot about.”
Tokiwa has extra urgent issues to think about: an completed clarinetist, this summer time she’s going to carry out abroad along with her orchestra, transfer to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, after which pack as much as head to Virginia Commonwealth College, the place she plans to review forensic science and finally go into public service, hopefully for the FBI, she says.
A Woman Scout who volunteers with beautification initiatives, she is also a teen advocate for the Hemophilia Basis, a lifelong sickness she mentioned made her into the assured younger girl she is right this moment.
“I’m within the Distinctive Household Member Program. It hasn’t been simple as a result of there are some locations that my household hasn’t been capable of go to due to the companies we want, however we have persevered,” Tokiwa mentioned. “I’ve gotten to dwell in New York and Japan.”
Jackson Griggs, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Nationwide Guard
Griggs has thrived since he was identified as a baby with juvenile dermatomyositis, an autoimmune dysfunction triggered, in his case, by publicity to ultraviolet rays — sunshine. He has loved rising up in numerous cities in Alabama, however cites the months spent in Romania the place his father, an Army Nationwide Guard colonel, was assigned, as instrumental in understanding completely different cultures and experiences.
“I’ve such a terrific appreciation for my life,” mentioned Griggs, who shares his optimistic perspective with different army youngsters as a member of the Alabama Nationwide Guard Youth Council.
Griggs holds his faculty observe information within the 3,200-meter and 5,000-meter race in addition to the 4 x 800-meter relay and is an Alabama Excessive College Athletics Affiliation All Star. He is no slouch in lecturers, both, having certified for a nationwide lecturers bowl staff and a U.S. Presidential Scholar.
He plans to review drugs in school.
“I feel my expertise will actually assist me assist others,” he mentioned.
Jemma Bates, Army Youngster of the 12 months, Navy
Jemma Bates will not have that far to journey to get to varsity — throughout a drill area and previous the towering bust of Tecumseh to get to Bancroft Corridor, house to the Naval Academy’s Brigade of Midshipmen.
Bates, whose father is a naval flight officer and now serves as deputy superintendent on the Naval Academy, plans to pursue a dream of being a army pilot, and perhaps even an astronaut.
“I need to be accountable for the aircraft,” she mentioned throughout an interview.
Bates is a member of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, she serves as her faculty’s pupil council vp and is staff captain of the tennis staff — a sport she did not actually play till highschool.
She says that she plans to deal with management abilities and lecturers on the Academy with an goal to be part of the ever-adapting Navy. “The world is certainly altering and the army is adapting to that change. I feel we’re in fairly good fingers,” she mentioned.
Hayley Schreiner, Army Youngster of the 12 months, House Pressure
Regardless of her concern of public talking, Hayley Schreiner joined the controversy staff at her highschool and determined to mentor incoming freshmen at her faculty in Colorado Springs.
Raised primarily in Colorado as her father moved from place to put, Schreiner has targeted largely on lecturers and volleyball, taking part in not solely on her highschool staff however an elite journey staff. She additionally holds down a part-time job, which she says has taught her accountability and teamwork.
One in every of two highschool juniors within the group, Schreiner hasn’t determined the place she needs to attend school or what that have will appear like, however she plans to deal with mechanical engineering.
She believes that her expertise as a army baby has made her adaptable, reliable and versatile.
“The misplaced time with my dad has been onerous, however I’m lucky to have discovered my place. I’ve superb help from my household,” she mentioned.
— Patricia Kime could be reached at Patricia.Kime@Army.com.
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