Resilience, leadership and achievement are just a few of the many traits that earned six youths acclaim from senior leaders during Operation Homefront’s 7th annual Military Child of the Year Award Gala in Arlington, VA.
on April 18, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and keynote speaker, Jason Brown, a former professional athlete, honored the sacrifices of some 2 million military children around the world. Out of more than 500 nominations, six were chosen, representing each service branch.
“Our awardees have pursued excellence; they’ve made it a priority to serve others. They’ve inspired us. They’ve done it with character,” Dempsey said. “I’m incredibly proud and honored to be the chairman of such a fighting force with incredible military families who support them. Our winners tonight are perfect examples of the stellar quality of military kids, and we’re so fortunate to have them in our military family. This nation asks a lot of each of you, and each of you continues to prove day in and day out that you are strong, that you are resilient and you are full of love of our country and for each other.”
Brown said he was honored to speak at the event, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, and was inspired by the military children. While he has never personally served in the military, his older brother, Lester Bernard Brown II, paid the ultimate sacrifice Sept. 20, 2003, in Afghanistan, while serving in the Army.
“I’ve been so touched by military families,” Brown said. “And my big brother was everything. He gave me encouragement every single day. He wanted me to be an even better person than he was. He was a hero. And these kids, I was invited here to inspire them but after learning about them, I’m the one who’s inspired. They’re the best and the brightest, not just academically, but service minded who have gone out of their way to help out their fellow man, to help out their families, to help out their communities and not just in America in the entire world,” he said.
Each April - the Month of the Military Child - the winner from each service branch receives a $10,000 cash award and a laptop, and is flown here with a parent or guardian for a special recognition ceremony.

Valentin Tzvetanov, Pan.bg editor’s remarks: The information has been taken from www.jcs.mil