A military brat is a person whose parent(s) served full-time in the armed forces during the person's childhood. In conventional usage, the word "brat" is derogatory; in a military context, however, it is neither a subjective nor a judgmental term. Although the term military brat is used in other English speaking countries, only the United States has studied its military brats as an identifiable demographic. This group is shaped by frequent moves, absence of a parent, authoritarian family dynamics, strong patriarchal authority, the threat of parental loss in war, and the militarization of the family unit. As adults, military brats share many of the same positive and negative traits developed from their mobile childhoods. Having had the opportunity to live around the world, military brats often have a breadth of experiences unmatched by most teenagers. Brats identify with other highly mobile children—regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender—more than they do with non-mobile ones. Many are typically highly educated, outgoing, and patriotic. They have been raised in a culture that emphasizes loyalty, honesty, discipline, and responsibility. Many struggle to develop and maintain deep lasting relationships, feeling like outsiders to U.S. civilian culture. This subculture cuts across other cultural identities. Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_brat_%28U.S._subculture%29 _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 711: Umayyad troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad landed at Gibraltar, beginning the Moorish invasion of Iberia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar) 1789: George Washington took the oath as the first President of the United States of America at Federal Hall, New York City. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hall) 1945: Martin Bormann and Heinz Linge found Adolf Hitler dead in the Führerbunker. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Adolf_Hitler) 1948: The Organization of American States was established in Bogotá, Colombia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_American_States) 1975: North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, ending the Vietnam War. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon) _____________________ Wikiquote of the day: In a political struggle, never get personal — else the dagger digs too deep. -- Jack Valenti (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Valenti)