By Angela Covo
La Prensa de San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio is a military city – and we have a lot of military kids. Military children understand the impact of war and the sacrifice it requires. While their parents and loved ones serve, they are serving their country too; and some of the children are dealing with unimaginable challenges.
According to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), a nonprofit organization, almost a million kids said goodbye and goodbye again to a parent who deployed multiple times and more than 44,700 children are living with a parent’s wound, injury, illness, or death.
Across the globe, almost two million kids are connected to the U.S. military – and they make terrific sacrifices, from dealing with their parents’ deployments to moving and changing schools three times more often than their civilian counterparts.
Every school district in America has military-connected children and youth: more than 80 percent attend U.S. public schools.
So every April, our nation recognizes their contributions as their loved ones serve their country in a branch of the armed services.
But this year, after more than a dozen years at war, this special group of children deserves our attention more than ever.
April is the perfect time to spring into action and recognize their sacrifices and resilience. Militarychild.org explains that opportunities abound to recognize these quiet heroes.
In a recent statement, the group wrote: “So whether it is by public proclamations, special activities and events, or simply a few kind words spoken to a military-connected child, we encourage everyone to seek out opportunities to express appreciation for these remarkable children.
We believe that our country’s future depends on our collaborative effort to grow qualified, well-educated citizens who will selflessly serve and contribute to our nation’s best interest. As we look to the future, these military-connected children and youth are worthy of recognition now.”
So look for an opportunity to acknowledge their sacrifice, volunteer for organizations that support them, and recognize their contribution to the nation.
MCEC Founded in 1998 and functions as a 501(c)(3) global, nonprofit advocacy organization that works to ensure quality
educational opportunities for America’s two million military-connected children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition.

