Did you know that April is Month of the Military Child?

Although they don't wear uniforms, military kids serve in their own way. The children of our service members must be resilient, adaptable and socially intelligent as they navigate family life in the military. These kids move an average of every 2.5 years and are constantly braving new environments.

Take 9-year-old Victoria. She lives in Japan, where she's a frequent visitor to our USO Yokosuka Center, but she's also lived in California, Maine and will probably move four or five more times before she graduates high school. She says she feels nervous when starting at a new school, and she sometimes gets sad when her dad is deployed with the Navy for long stretches. But no matter where her family's service takes her next, that familiar red, white and blue USO sign will help Victoria and her family feel at home again.

Like many military children, Victoria courageously pushes through — even when it's hard. Could you take 10 seconds and tell children like Victoria you're thinking of them as we kick off Month of the Military Child today?

Victoria says the hardest part of moving so much is trying to make new friends and leaving old ones behind. Studies have shown one of the top stressors for military children is learning to navigate already-established social groups, as well as making and maintaining friendships.

The USO works to mitigate this with specialized programming for military kids, spouses and families. Our centers are a home away from home — not just for active-duty service members but for all members of the military community; a place where military kids like Victoria always receive a warm welcome.

Victoria, and the 1.6 million other children of service members we're honoring during Month of the Military Child, didn't choose the military life, but they experience it every day, and it's up to us to show support. Will you add your name to our card right away to thank our nation's youngest heroes? We need 50,000 signatures via email and text messages by midnight Thursday:

Thank you for remembering the youngest members of our military community.

— The USO