Angela Devereaux Neilans with her dad Major General Rick Devereaux at NASCAR
1. What branch of the military is your father in and how long has he served?
My father was in the Air Force and he proudly served for 34 years.
2. Where are some of the different places you have lived, and which one has been your favorite?
I was born in Lubbock, Texas and I’ve lived in California, Ohio, Alabama, Delaware, Oklahoma, Virginia and England. I think my favorite place would be Washington DC (Virginia) because I was fortunate enough to spend all four high school years there. My family moved to California during my younger brother’s senior year, but he adjusted pretty well because he played soccer. Being involved in sports helped him connect with other people.
3. What challenges did you face as a military kid and how did you overcome them?
Moving around so much was probably the number one challenge I faced as a military kid. When I was younger, it seemed like more of an adventure going to all of these different places, but it got harder as I grew older. We could never predict when and where we would move, but our family stuck together and we relied on each other for support.
I definitely grew closer with my two brothers from moving around so much and sharing those experiences with each other. My dad was a pilot, so he was also gone quite a bit, which was especially hard on my mom because she was left alone with three children, however, we faced these challenges together, and we could all relate to one another which made us stronger as a family. Also my dad brought us awesome presents when he came home, so we always looked forward to that!
4. What was your favorite thing about being a military kid?
Every time I take one of those personality tests my number one strength always ends up being adaptability. Having to move around a lot as a kid I’ve learned to adjust to new people and places pretty quickly.
There’s also a very strong sense of pride in the military community and within military families, and I’m so proud of my dad and what he does for our country.
5. What advice would you give to other military kids?
Try your best to see the positive aspects of your situation. Even though military kids face many challenges, they also have many opportunities that other kids might not get to experience.
It’s also important to support your parents as much as you can, whether they’re home or on leave. Work on strengthening your family bond, because my family was always there for me while everything around me was changing. Enjoy the time you get to spend with your parents and siblings and don’t be afraid to lean on one another for support.
I enjoyed reading Angela’s reflections on being a child in a military family. My take-away is to remember that there are unique BENEFITS to living the military family life as well as challenges. I work with child care professionals who have military families in their programs and I think too often we focus only on the hardships (or the aspects of military life we civilians imagine would be hard to handle!). Angela reminded me to acknowledge the positive side of military families’ experiences, too. I’ll pass this insight on – thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Kathy, and for passing along the insight. We’re glad you’re finding helpful information here. It’s important to remember the positive in any situation!