Military children: built to adapt

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tori Haudenschild
  • 1st Special Operations Wing
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Military children grow up in a world of change, facing new schools, friends and the uncertainty of being separated from their parents during deployments. Every April, the Department of Defense celebrates Month of the Military Child by recognizing their resilience, adaptability and the sacrifices they make alongside their families.

For Senior Master Sgt. Heather Moore, a 1st Special Operations Wing senior enlisted leader, balancing dual military careers with her husband, retired Chief Mark Moore, and motherhood brought unique challenges, especially for her four children—Alaya, Mark Jr., Ezra, and Ellie.

“I had my first daughter, Alaya, when I was stationed at Ramstein, Germany and I ended up deploying when she was nine months old,” Moore stated. “It broke my heart because when I got home, she ran to my sister and cried because she didn’t know who I was at first.”

As the oldest child, Alaya faced the challenges of relocating five different times to new duty stations, becoming aware of the difficulties military children endure while also discovering the silver lining of moving around the world.

“Being a military kid can be difficult and makes me feel trapped at times because my life is controlled by my mom’s job,” Alaya explained. “But it is definitely cool being able to travel and make a bunch of friends from all over while you grow up.”

Since 2014, Alaya has been managing the diagnosis of two medical conditions, requiring frequent doctor visits and consultations. Through these challenges, the family has become familiar with the support offered by the Exceptional Family Member Program, which helps military families manage medical needs while navigating military life.

“EFMP has been a significant help with my daughter’s medical conditions regardless of where we are, the coordinators are always so helpful and knowledgeable,” Moore stated. “We have participated in several EFMP events and it always reminds me that we are not alone in this medical journey.”

Although the prognosis of her firstborn was unexpected and was delivered days before she was set to leave for a two month training, Moore reflected on her daughter’s ability to adapt and overcome adversity, emphasizing her resilience in the face of uncertainty.

“Alaya showed so much strength because she accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to be there with her throughout the procedures,” Moore said. “She understood I was doing this all for her and our family–she simply adapted.”

Through it all, Moore’s children have remained her greatest source of motivation, inspiring her to continue her commitment to service.

“My son, Mark Jr., thought it was the coolest thing ever that I was going up for chief, he was ecstatic,” Moore said. “I obviously do this for my country, but seeing his gratitude and excitement gave me the motivation to continue making him proud.”

Just like Mark Jr., Alaya was inspired by her mom’s dedication, instilling a sense of pride in her for her parent’s accomplishments.

“I am really proud of being able to grow up with my parents during this,” Alaya explained. “Watching them both become chiefs, my dad retiring and just seeing how much they can overcome and do.”

Seeing her parents' strength and determination helped shape Alaya’s perspective on how she approaches challenges in her own life and what can be possible with hard work and resilience.

“My best advice would be to just try out the new place and make new friends–you just might meet the best people of your life,” Alaya said. “And remember, you can do big things if you really put your mind to it.”

Now, as Moore reflects on their journey, she doesn’t just see the sacrifices she made in service to her country—she sees the strength of the children who stood beside her every step of the way.