In 1986 it was declared by Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger that April would be the month dedicated to military children. These children sacrifice a lot while their parent (or parents) serves our country. During a military child’s adolescent years, there may be frequent moves and family separation due to deployment. There have been many programs created to help military children and families with the constant changes that go on in their life. In 2004, Operation Purple began to help serve military families in the different phases of military life – deployment, reintegration, and coming together after an injury. Throughout April, schools and civilian nonprofit organizations are encouraged to set aside a day or days during April to recognize these extraordinary children for their hard work and courage. We salute these brave children this Thoughtful Thursday for their resilience and strength.
Visit MilitaryFamily.org for more information.