SAN ANTONIO, October 15, 2015 — Operation Homefront, a
national nonprofit organization, is accepting nominations for the 2016 Military
Child of the Year awards.
Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with
nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the
families of service members and wounded warriors.
The eighth annual awards will recognize six outstanding
young people ages 8 to 18 to represent the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force,
Coast Guard and National Guard for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership,
extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of
military family life, officials said.
On average, they added, previous recipients have had at
least one parent deploy for 18 months or longer and have relocated at least
five times due to a parent’s military assignments.
The six awardees will receive $10,000 each and a laptop
computer and other donated gifts, and they will be flown with a parent or
guardian to Washington for an April 14 gala, during which senior leaders of
each branch of service will present the awards.
"It's our honor to celebrate military children through
the Military Child of the Year for the eighth consecutive year," said
Operation Homefront President and CEO John I. Pray, Jr. "Whether it's in
schools or honor societies, civic associations and clubs, sports or
volunteerism, you never have to look far to find an exemplary military child
who thrives in the face of challenges inherent to military life. As we open up
the nomination window, please join us in celebrating the resilience,
achievement and strength of character embodied by our youngest patriots and
submit a nomination to recognize them today.”
Talent, Intellect, Community Involvement
The 2015 recipients reflect the high caliber of talent,
intellect and community involvement that the Military Child of the Year
typifies, officials said.
For instance, they noted, having already lobbied Congress
for passage of the Girls Count Act of 2014, Air Force 2015 Military Child of
the Year Sarah Hesterman founded while in Qatar an organization called Girl Up
Qatar, a club that works to promote the rights of women and girls in the Middle
East and around the world by providing access to education and resources for
adolescent girls in situations of conflict. The BBC even named this current
high school senior one of its 100 Women in 2014.
“The best thing about being selected as Military Child of
the Year for the Air Force was feeling like I had made a contribution to [the
Air Force],” said Sarah. “I had always felt as though the service gave me
everything that I could ask for, but that I wasn’t giving back. Knowing that I
may have been able to serve and do something for the Air Force, even as just a
teenager, was a wonderful feeling.
“The pride that I felt going on stage and accepting the
award,” she continued, “is still the same pride I feel today. … Winning MCOY
made me realize how important it is to show military kids that you can create a
life for yourself outside of just being the child of someone who serves or has
served. Whether it’s to be a voice for other military kids or to speak up for
those who need representation in other countries, I now get to show other kids
how to speak up and be heard.”
Sarah, who has moved back to Andrews Air Force Base,
Maryland, said she had a busy and memorable summer, “I spent most of my summer
doing work for Girl Up, and the pinnacle of my summer was attending the Girl Up
Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to
meet Michelle Obama and a number of other leaders who are champions for girls’
education. I also went to Capitol Hill to speak with representatives and
senators about female refugees and the importance of their safety.”
Helping Elected Officials Understand
As president of the Missouri National Guard Teen Advisory
Council, current high school junior Zachary Parsons, the 2015 National Guard
Military Child of the Year, continues to enlighten elected officials to the
inherent challenges of being a military child in general and in being the child
of a wounded National Guard soldier in particular. Zachary also is president of
his 4-H club, president of the Johnson County 4-H Council, West Central
representative on the 4-H State Council, a 4-H representative on the University
of Missouri Extension Council, a Missouri United Way fund-raiser, and a member
of the National Honor Society.
“I was extremely proud to be the first representative of the
National Guard for the MCOY award,” said Zachary, who visited the White House
this summer as a part of a Washington Focus trip. “I was happy to act as a
voice for National Guard kids everywhere. Many [people] do not understand that
we go through a totally different set of obstacles that prove to be just as
difficult as those of other military kids. I was extremely proud to represent
my dad’s branch at a higher level.”
He has continued his community service through the summer.
“I volunteer with United Way,” he said, “and continue to collect shoes for my
Soles4Souls community service projects. I was also involved in a project called
Project Smile, where I helped construct and donate 45 tie blankets to the local
emergency room. I find service to be extremely important, and I will continue
to help others in need all my life.”
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