My experience as a military child has been both exhilarating and markedly different from that of my peers. My father is in special forces, my mom is a retired reservist, and my family has a long history of military service, including veterans among my grandparents, uncle, and great-grandparents. This military background made me feel different from my classmates. For instance, my diet was quite different. While my classmates enjoyed cookies or candy, I would be lucky to have a Crunch bar, as my Lunchables were often scrutinized. My parents frequently told me that I didn’t need those junk snacks; I just wanted them. As a result, I lost almost all access to unhealthy treats and was always expected to have vegetables on my plate. Moreover, I was often told we were going to run around the neighborhood, which meant I had to wake up earlier than my peers. The looming fear of my parents being deployed halfway around the world was always present. When I was about 11 or 12, my dad was deployed to the Middle East for nine months. This marked the first long absence I could remember, and as the oldest of three kids, the extra responsibility of helping my mom take care of my sisters hit me hard. Despite the challenges of having my dad away, it taught me about responsibility and taking care of others, which will be invaluable if I become a father myself. My parents often used workouts as a form of punishment. We would do push-ups, sit-ups, hold planks for 7 to 10 minutes, and perform wall sits, where you slide down a wall until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and hold that position. I also disliked moving three times during my six years of elementary school, as it made making and keeping friends increasingly difficult as I grew older. When it came to academics, I learned the importance of maintaining good grades because my father would not allow me to game, have fun, or relax unless I had finished my homework and my grades were acceptable—meaning A's and B's. This philosophy extended to the weekends as well, with the rule, "You can play after you finish your chores," followed by my dad’s insistence that everything had to be clean—even if there was just a small stain. Although my upbringing was somewhat tougher than that of many kids, it taught me valuable lessons. I learned to be responsible when my dad was away, benefitted from a healthy diet that helped me stay in shape, and developed strong time management skills by prioritizing my schoolwork. Moving around the country also showed me that I didn’t have to change who I am to make friends. That is the essence of my life as a military child.