The month of April is a mighty big deal for the Defense Health Agency.

The DHA launched the “Celebrating the Mighty” global campaign on April 1. This is the eighth year the DHA is participating in and celebrating the Month of the Military Child.

The “mighty” campaign will shine light on the virtual community that is available to military children on Military Kids Connect, as well as educating military children about the importance of building camaraderie as part of strengthening their mental health, well-being, and sense of belonging.

“Military kids provide creative and resourceful support to their families and communities, all while regularly adapting to new environments and making sacrifices alongside their parents,” said Kelly Blasko, counseling psychologist and lead for Military Kids Connect at the DHA Connected Health branch. “This year, the DHA is including the ‘Celebrating the Mighty’ campaign as part of our Month of the Military Child outreach so we can honor the strength, resiliency, and sheer might that military kids demonstrate every day.”

Blasko mentioned military children sometimes face unique psychological challenges that come with military life. For the nearly 1 million military kids, they may have a parent absent for long periods of time and move multiple times during their grade-school years. These factors alone may greatly stress military kids’ mental health. 

“For military kids, sometimes it’s hard to relate to other kids when their parents aren’t in the military like yours are,” said Mackenzie Hale, a 16-year-old military kid living in Washington state. “I am lucky to have found a community of other kids and families who can support each other, and that has been very helpful when my dad has gone on deployments.”

Throughout April, Military Kids Connect is hosting virtual “Celebrating the Mighty” events and activities:

• All month long, Military Kids Connect will share information for military kids on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, using #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild, #MOMC
• Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Gragg celebrates the mighty with a video shout out to military kids.
• On April 6, Military OneSource’s Daily COVID-19 Facebook Live will feature Military Kids Connect and the Celebrating the Mighty campaign.
• On April 12, there will be a military kid “takeover” on the Military Kids Connect social media channels (see a preview video here).
• April 15 marks Purple Up Day, when the DHA recognizes military kids everywhere by encouraging everyone to wear purple, the color representing all military branches, using #PurpleUp, #PurpleUpDay.
• Military Kids Connect digital banners will be prominently displayed at large military installations in Germany, Korea, Hawaii, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington state.

The Department of Defense launched the Month of the Military Child campaign in 1986, and it has evolved to one of the most exciting campaigns of the year. Follow along and celebrate the mighty on the DHA’s Military Kid Connect Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.