Brat's Bench

I didn’t spend 24.5 years in the Army or serve two tours in Vietnam. I don’t have a top secret security clearance and I didn’t retire as a Lieutenant Colonel. My dad did all that. I just went along for the ride.

I was born in Fort Polk, LA and soon moved to California and overseas to Indonesia. My family also lived in Texas, Kansas, a few different places in Georgia, California, Massachusetts and now, Virginia. While my father’s Army career led into a successful second job as a defense contractor for him, it also helped me land a few gigs myself.

Being a military brat usually came up when I found a kindred spirit, someone who had lived the same life as me. It is always fun to talk about how many places I have lived and what a great experience being a military family was for me, and hearing about that from someone else. It wasn’t until I was filling out a job application for a major newspaper that I thought I would list my “military service” as part of my experience. While technically I know I wasn’t a member of the Armed Forces, I did serve my country in supporting my father. So, I listed it.

I listed the things being a military brat instilled in me: respect authority, be on time, don’t disrespect others and promote teamwork for the greater good. I finished up the application with a statement about honor, “With it, nothing else matters. Without it, nothing else matters.”

I have to say I was impressed with my innovation and creativity and thought the company would either love it or hate it. At the very least, someone would probably notice it. I got a call a few days later to come in for an interview. I was so excited to see if the group brought up my “military experience.”

My excitement was short-lived because almost immediately, the group let me know they thought my answers were “cute” but didn’t really count as experience. While I wasn’t trying to pass off my childhood as work experience, I did – and still do – think it plays a valuable part in who I am today.

Even though I didn’t get that job, that interview taught me a lot. I was able to find the confidence I needed to express myself and the inner knowledge of why I’m proud to be a military brat. Ever since that interview, my “military experience” is now one of the first things I tell people. In fact, it helped me land several jobs. The more I tell people about the good and hard times my family went through, the more potential employers, future business contacts and coworkers understand the kaleidoscope of experience that makes me – me.

Staci Dennis is a freelance writer and blogger for Nexxt. She uses her job skills and life experience to formulate unique and clever blogs and stories.

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