abstract | - Military brat is an English-language colloquial or military slang term used in several countries to describe the children and teenagers of active-duty military personnel. It also describes the unique subcultures associated with these populations. It is also a recognized term of cultural identity. The term denotes childhood and/or adolescent immersion in military culture to the point where the mainstream culture of one's home country may seem foreign or peripheral. In a number of countries (but not all) where there are military brat subcultures, the term also references a lifestyle of high mobility, as the child's family follows the soldier-parent great distances from one non-combat assignment after another during most or at least a significant portion of one's growing up years. For highly mobile military brat populations, a complex 'mixed' cultural identity often results, due to the resulting exposure to numerous national or regional cultures while growing up. Within military culture, the term "military brat" is not considered to be an insult, but rather connotes affection and respect. War-related family stresses, including long-term war-related absence of a parent, as well as war aftermath issues, are common features of military brat life in some countries, although the degree of war-involvement of individual countries with military brat subcultures may vary.
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