CALVERT COUNTY, Md – Many families in Calvert County, Maryland have come to the area as a result of one or more family members being in the military. As a result many children have had to adjust to the area. Thebaynet.com got to talk to a few of these family members. Jim Brennan is a military dad to his daughter Katie, “she is 19 and has been part of a military family her entire life. For the first 14 years of her life, she moved 8 times with the final time being Calvert in 2017. Since then, she has made it clear that Calvert is her home,” said Jim.
“As you can imagine, the requirement to move 8 times in 14 years leaves a number of things fluid…like school, friends, roots, etc… However, she graduated from Huntingtown HS in 2022, and it was the first school she was able to stay in for the duration. Katie’s desire to pursue cosmetology stems from her artsy background, and her desire to help people feel good about themselves. She is currently attending The Temple in Annapolis set to graduate in Fall 2023.”
“Personally, I think Calvert is a very strong supporter of the military, and I have enjoyed watching our family become a part of the county.”
Jim’s daughter Katie spoke about what it was like growing up in a military family:
“The list of places I have moved to is long! My dads been in the military my whole life and we have never lived anywhere longer than 3 years and typically our moves are back and forth east coast to west coast. We moved to Calvert County in 2017 so I was just about to turn 15 I believe.
Katie’s list of homes is extensive (San Diego, Maryland, Monterey, Virginia, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, California, and then Calvert County) She spoke about some of her challenges with moving from state to state:
“It was always hard to get close with friends just knowing I was going to leave them.”
Despite describing herself as outgoing when it comes to making friends, Katie says moving to Calvert was hard at first, “It was a huge adjustment. I was used to big cities and to move to such a tiny county was weird. I was upset about this move in the beginning. My parents had really encouraged us to join 4-H and get involved in that. They helped us get a bunch of farm animals that then brought us to show at the Calvert County Fair every year. “
The “4-H” organization Katie spoke of is the largest youth development organization in the United States. According to the University of Maryland Extension website, “The Maryland 4-H Youth Development Program provides a supportive setting for youth to reach their fullest potential. Children learn beneficial cognitive and life skills through community-focused research-based, experiential educational programs.”
Katie also mentioned other programs and facilities available to military families such as a community center on one of the housing bases, “The center had fun activities and clubs and was a place for all the kids who are in similar situations to join together. I remember they had art stuff and sports and gaming. It was just a fun program to be a part of. I think something that most people don’t realize is that being a military kid no matter where you are finding military people will always feel like your family. So for them to provide something like this for us was great!”
Katie says that military kids “always seem to find each other.” Katie introduced us to one of her friends, Caroline Myers, who grew up in a military family.
Myers was born in Keflavik, Iceland, and just two months after moved to Groton, Connecticut. Myers, like Katie, described moving all over the country while her father worked in the military before eventually settling down in Pomfret, Maryland. She says her mother was always looking for other homeschooling families to help support her education since Myers herself was homeschooled due to all of the moving. “Being a military brat has shaped me into who I am today!” said Myers.
Finally, Katie told us about the bond military children share, “We’ve all been through the same stuff or similar so we automatically have that connection. Here in Calvert I haven’t found as many military families, but I joined cosmetology school in Annapolis and in my close group of friends, which is four of us, three of us have military parents. We all just support each other no matter what our differences may be.”
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