Life as a kid growing up in the military, no matter which branch, has its ups and downs. I grew up with my dad in the Air Force. I was born on Dyess AFB in Abeline, Texas, in a small military hospital that is now a health clinic. Before I was born, my parents had lived in Okinawa, Japan, on Kadena AFB. When I was four, we moved to McGuire AFB in Wrightstown, NJ, and eventually moved off base. Growing up, I faced these ups and downs that pretty much every military brat knows by heart.

1.) “So where are you from?”

GREAT question. Military kids are from anywhere and everywhere. Myself, I was born in the South, my family is from the Midwest, and I grew up on the East Coast. My story isn’t even too bad-I’ve had many friends move all over the world, and some don’t even stay in one place for more than six months at a time.

2. You know what “commissary” and “BX” is.

A commissary is the version of a grocery store on a military base. A “BX” is pretty much a convenient store, department store, and your “anything you may need store” all in one. They have barber shops, hair and nail salons, movie and DVD collections, food courts, and clothes to buy. When I was a kid, this is pretty much where we spent most of our time.

3. You’re 15 minutes early to everything. No exceptions.

I’m glad I learned this golden rule growing up, because it does benefit you in the real world. I was taught that early is always better than being late, and it makes you look more professional. I always saw how my dad followed schedules and orders, so I took after him.

4. Most kids graduate high school with a majority of the same people they went to preschool with. However, you have no clue who you went to preschool with!

Like I said before, I know many people who don’t stay in the same place for a very long time. I had friends who would stay for about six months to a year and move to a different base. You didn’t have the same friends at the end of the school year as you did in the beginning.

5. Being part of a military family is a great way to travel and have cultural experience.

My dad has been a ton of places and I love to hear about them! He has even brought back some currency from other countries. Some of my friends who lived near me on base have moved to places like Germany, England, Japan, even the UAE. How cool is it that you’ll have so much experience with different places while you grow up?

6. Your bank account is USAA.

Sometimes when I pay for this with my debit card, people will ask me, “Are you or your parents in the military?” just by looking at the bank on my card.

7. Having your family member(s) be deployed is hard.

It’s not easy. My dad was not around much when I was younger, but he was doing an amazing thing by serving our country. Also, you develop a stronger bond with that person because the time you have together is much more appreciated.

8. You adapt well to change.

Being in the military may, a lot of times, require you and your family to have to move all over the place, but lucky for you, you know how to be the new kid. You’ve been through this before. The best part of it is, you get to meet so many new people and keep in touch with any old ones before you moved.

9. You learn to be independent at a young age.

A lot of the time, your family member(s) may not be there to help you with everything, so you learn to adapt to things on your own. Learning independence while young can help you in the real world when you’re older.

10. This goes for everyone, but you never disrespect an adult or someone in higher authority.

Everyone learns this, but I feel as if this skill is heightened growing up in the military. Your parent(s) teach you what was taught to them in their field-to respect adults no matter how much they annoy you, and to always listen to authority.

11. The military life is an adventurous life.

You get to say that you’ve been so many places and seen so many things. You get to say that your mom or dad or other family member does this and that for the military. I will always be proud to say that my dad and many other men and women in my family served in the Air Force. Also, you wouldn’t have this life any other way.