About 700 high school students and educators from across the nation attended the Military Child Education Coalition's 2019 National Training Seminar in Washington.
Retired Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the son of a combat Marine, was one of the speakers at the event. The former NATO supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command offered tips on leadership. Good leaders, he said:
- Are good listeners;
- Read a variety of books and periodicals;
- Innovate and reward innovation in others;
- Communicate well, both in writing and speaking;
- Build personal relationships;
- Collaborate and build teams;
- Hold values;
- Are dedicated to their craft;
- Are calm in crisis; and
- Are bold and resilient.
Finally, "A great leader is a dealer in hope," Stavridis said, quoting French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte.
Kim Joiner, deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for strategic engagement, is the daughter of a soldier. Men and women of the armed forces serve and often sacrifice in the course of their profession, she said.
They will be the first to say that their families make sacrifices as well, she told the seminar audience, such as taking care of family responsibilities when their military loved ones are away.
Joiner said she recalls changing schools a lot, due to frequent moves service members experience. "I attended nine different schools in 12 years, and so I know about the challenge of moving homes, finding new clubs and organizations to belong to, making new friends and most importantly, missing those you love the most.
"But one thing I learned along the way is that facing those challenges head on comes with benefits too," she continued. "It can make you resilient, creative, adaptable, and determined in ways that people who don't grow up the military never get the chance to learn."
Joiner showed three videos of other military children identified only by their first names who shared their thoughts of what their experience was like.
Ashanti said she was uprooted from her schools as the family moved to new duty stations throughout the United States, Asia and Europe. While that can be disconcerting, she said, there were also a lot of benefits, such as visiting new places and experiencing different cultures and cuisines.
Shelby received several national innovation awards for inventing a new emergency medical device for children with severe allergies. She said her invention was inspired by her father's service as a Marine, and that she was encouraged and challenged by her teacher to solve this medical problem so she could help other kids like herself.
Jaren said he learned to speak five languages during his childhood, and he's now studying mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University. He said he wants to continue serving the military community through his appointment to MCEC's Student Advisory Council.
Military spouses are also special, Joiner said. She showed a video of Yukari, a military spouse who gives back to every community where her military spouse is stationed by starting a dance studio.
Those and other videos can be found by searching the #KnowYourMil hashtag on social media sites. To learn more about the military, visit https://www.defense.gov.