Military children, participants of the installation’s Child and Youth Services (CYS) Program, conducted a walkathon across Fort Buchanan on April 3 to commemorate the month of the Military Child, an event coordinated by the Army Community Service.

As part of the commemoration, Col. Charles N. Moulton, Fort Buchanan commander, and Command Sergeant Major Roderick W. Hendricks, the installation Command Sergeant Major, signed a proclamation to officialize the celebration.

“Despite their many challenges, military children are essential to our communities. You provide support and stability to your parents and siblings and often become leaders within your peer groups. You quickly learn to be self-reliant and independent, skills that will serve you well throughout your lives,” said Moulton shortly after signing the proclamation.

The installation’s CYS coordinator, Luis Maldonado, was also present at the ceremony.

“I want to thank you. This is your month, and we must celebrate and appreciate your sacrifices. I was a military brat myself, so I know the importance that your resilience plays in keeping our troops' military readiness,” said Maldonado.

Meanwhile, Paulette Martinez, an 11th-grade student at the Fort Buchanan Department of Defense school system, also addressed the audience on behalf of all military children in the installation.

“April is the month of the military child. We are celebrating us! A community of military-connected youth. Our parents work hard with everything they do for us and our country. But we, their children, we are just as hard workers. We are resilient. We must be proud of what we do,” said Martinez.

As a military child from Puerto Rico, Paulette frequently uses the Morale and Welfare and Recreation facilities, the post library, and the installation’s Child and Youth Services program. She also participates in school clubs and the student council.

Paulette’s experience is a clear example of how our quality-of-life initiatives at Fort Buchanan, the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean, aim to provide a supportive and enriching environment for every member of the Army family.

At the national level, there are roughly 1.6 million dependent military children across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. About 1 million of these children are dependents of active-duty service members. The remaining 700,000 dependent military children are children of guard or reserve service members.

Fort Buchanan encourages service members, families, and friends in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean throughout April to support military children by wearing purple.
Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active duty, Reserve and National Guard military, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Operational Support Center. The installation also serves approximately 2,000 military children.