Which branch of the service are you connected to, for what years, and how?

Dad was retired Air Force. He achieved the rank of SMSGT and served from 1955-1975 as a Crew Chief. He was deployed 3 times to Vietnam. He as near the DMZ but not in direct combat. His base was bombed. We came to Randolph AFB, Texas in 1970 and Dad retired here in 1974. He has since passed away.

My husband was in the Navy.

Brat and Spouse. I also have a nephew thar was in the Marines and
his brother who was in the Army and received a Purple Heart in
Afghanistan.

I’m a Brat from 1956 to 1947. Spouse from 2006 to current.

What was the best tour of duty location and why?

Prior to the Randolph area I loved being stationed at Clark AB.

I was a tween when we were stationed at Clark. Living off base at
Diamond Sub Division was fun as there were so many kids in my age
group. I loved the flowers!!

How do you answer the question “where are you from?”

I usually just say the I’m an AF Brat. If I’m out of state people assume
I’m from Texas as I’ve picked up the accent, lol.

Love in the Military

Mom and Dad got married when Dad got out of basic.

School in the Military

We lived off base at Randolph so I went to a local high school near the base, Judson High, Converse, TX 1974. I never lost my ID. I don’t remember all the other schools I attended. Two were military schools, on in Japan and one in Clark, PI.

I still have connections to many friends from that time.

How did your family cope when you missed your sponsor?

As a Daddy’s girl, I hated it when my dad went to Vietnam. We would always move back to Mom’s hometown. No military bases, all civilians. I was bullied and felt very alone on those occasions. And I hated the snow! We were always stationed in the tropics or the southern United States.

Most and Least Favorite Locations to live

Most was always SE Asia, Philippines, and Japan. Least favorite was Mom’s hometown in Indiana.

Advice for those families dealing with deployments and separations?

Stay close to a base where your children are comfortable. Don’t uproot their routine. When they area deployed, everything changes.

How do you answer the question: “Where are you from?”

I have lived 7-8 different places so I say, “I’m an Air Force Brat.” None of us take exception to being called Brats!

Where do you call home and why?

Texas.

As a Brat, home was just wherever we lived. As we moved I learned
that I do not like cold and snow and living in South Texas we rarely
get snow.

Thank you, Korrina, for sharing your story!