From left, Darien Crank, Chelsea Jarvis and Cornelius Madison head to class at Fort Campbell High School on Fort Campbell, Ky., April 15, 2010. DoD photo by Elaine Wilson.
*Keep an eye on the Family Matters Blog. Launched by Elaine Wilson, editor and writer for American Forces Press Service, the blog provides great resources and support for military families on topics ranging from deployments and separations to the challenges of everyday life.
This post about war and military teens is republished from her blog.
One of the things I admire most about my children is their unadulterated candor.
I know I can count on them to let me know if my outfit looks less than perfect or if I’m looking particularly haggard that morning. “Mom, I’d change that shirt if I were you,” my 8-year-old daughter will tell me with her big, innocent eyes. “Your hair looks weird today,” my 5-year-old son will tell me with considerably less tact.
I was hoping I’d find the same candor on my trip to Fort Campbell, Ky., and I wasn’t disappointed. I traveled there to interview military teens and write about how they’re coping with this decade of war.
I interviewed three teens on their turf, the Fort Campbell High School, and asked them about every aspect of military life, from what they enjoyed most to what’s been the toughest aspect for them.
I first met Darien Crank, a high school senior, who is preparing to head off to college. His father is deployed, for the third time in six years, and he was very blunt about the impact of his absences on their relationship. “He’s been gone for so long, I can’t even imagine our relationship being really close,” he told me.