20 Signs You Grew Up As A Military Brat

When I was growing up, I never really knew how to introduce myself. Eventually, telling people that I was a military brat and lived in two countries in Europe became part of my default answer. I’m sure many people can relate to the military lifestyle, whether it was going to the commissary or having a culture shock when returning back to the states. Sooner or later, we all began to love it. These are 20 signs you grew up as a military brat!

1. You have no idea how to answer the infamous question, “Where are you from?”

This question is the most common when you first move to a place, but what does it even mean? I can tell you either where I was born, where I lived last, where I liked the most, or just list everywhere if you really want to sit through all of that.

2. Being excited to turn 10 because you got your ID.

Getting your ID was like this weird rite of passage and made you feel like a grown up; until you forgot it and you started to get lectured for it. God forbid you lost it, because there’s a lot of paper work involved to get a new one.

3. Standing up for the national anthem before the movies.

Going to a movie off base and something just doesn’t feel right and this isn’t referring to the price of your ticket.

4. Going to grocery stores in the states and wondering why everything is so expensive.

Not only are you surprised when you’re looking at the prices of items, but you also forget that tax is actually a thing outside of the commissary.

5. When you were in school, you prepared for terrorist attacks instead of earthquakes or tornadoes.

Sure there were the usual fire drills, but having to barricade the doors and sit in utter silence for an entire period wasn’t exactly uncommon either.

6. Getting your license late because you didn’t live in the states when you turned 16.

Even if you did have your license, driving around base seemed to be a waste when you could also just walk everywhere.

7. Creating an instant connection with other military brats.

“Woah your dad was in the Navy too? Where were you guys stationed?”, or “Oh you came from Ramstein? My best friend just moved there”. We’ve all had conversations that went somewhere along those lines.

8. In high school, away games meant being gone the entire weekend.

Hours spent on a bus to another country just for a football game is a common thing. Home games just meant another school from far away was coming to you instead.

9. You either lived in one of the apartments on base or a giant house off base.

Maybe you lived in a small apartment where your classmates, teachers, and your parent’s coworkers all lived in the same building as you. Or maybe you lived “off-base”/”on the economy” in an absurdly large duplex with multiple levels in it, still with your classmates, teachers, and parent’s coworkers living around you.

10. Casually traveling to another country for the weekend.

Three-day weekend was synonymous with a three-day vacation. It wasn’t odd to see some of your classmates while you were visiting France during that time either.

11. Having multiple best friends in every state and country.

Everyone you knew overseas moved sooner or later, but this just resulted in having a best friend in Virginia, Texas, Japan, Germany, etc.

12. Having to explain why you speak English so well when you move back to the states.

It’s very hard to explain that you went to school on a military base with other kids that also speak English, but you didn’t exactly attend a military school.

13. Also having to explain that you’re not actually from that country.

Its even harder for some people to understand that just because you moved from a certain country, doesn’t mean you have an ancestry background from there.

14. Not understanding how some of your friends have never left the state.

You probably need two hands to count everywhere you lived. It’s weird to think how some people have lived in one city their entire life, in the same house, with the same classmates each school year.

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15. Starting to get uncomfortable when you’ve lived in a place for too long.

After three years, you’ve become too used to a place and it just starts to feel weird. You can just sense that your house is going to soon be filled with cardboard boxes again.

16. Going to college and realizing you can’t visit home during the weekend because your parents live in another country.

You’re jealous of your friends that can get home cooked meals and visit home for the weekends, but you to go to Europe or Asia during summer and winter break so, who’s the real winner?

17. Being thankful you had your parent’s GI Bill to use in college.

Even if FAFSA basically gave you nothing you knew you’d still be better off than most of your friends when it came to student debts.

18. Wondering how you’ll survive without your military benefits.

It’s hard to imagine life without the commissary and other benefits…which is why you’ve probably considered either enlisting ourselves or just marrying into the military.

19. You used to hate moving around.

You hated being the new kid and having to learn to adapt to new places. Even the long drives to countries and day trips became annoying.

20. But, you’ve learned to love it.

As you got older, you realized how blessed you were. Maybe you don’t have one single place to call our own, but how many other people can say they’ve traveled the world at such a young age?

Do you have any other signs that you grew up a military brat!? Share in the comments below!

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