PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Last week, civilian employees and military personnel assigned to Picatinny Arsenal visited students at a nearby elementary school as part of a series of week-long, “Month of the Military Child” (MOMC) events, honoring the role military children play in the U.S. Armed Forces community.
Since April 1986, the U.S. Army has observed the Month of the Military Child to recognize the support that military children provide their Soldiers and families.
“As a former military child, my father served 24 years in the U.S. Army. Spending so much time away from my father instilled in me the importance of community and friendship,” said Forsgren. “Taking on this role with Month of the Military Child at our designated school, gives me the opportunity to showcase how amazing our children are to their civilian peers.”
According to the Department of Defense, the average child in a military family will move six to nine times from kindergarten to 12th grade; an average frequency of three times more than non-military families. Currently, more than 1.7 million children have one or more parents on active service in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Local activities focusing on the Military Child began on Monday, April 7, with military personnel greeting students at they entered the school to begin their week. The observance then kicked off with an assembly that included a visit from special guests, including the Rockaway Township mayor, superintendent of schools, and school board members.
“Showing the amazing work that is done at Picatinny is a great way to center the kids around science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and show that the military is more than what we see in movies or read in books,” Forsgren said.
“Academia is important within the military and the engineers do an amazing job exemplifying it. The past two years have been an honor for me. I dedicated months of time and research to make these events happen and I couldn’t do them without the help of Picatinny Arsenal. I’m grateful to have one more year in New Jersey and with my new team, hopefully make my last year as Month of the Military Child Chairman the best one yet,” Forsgren added.
On Tuesday, each class painted rocks purple for display outside the school. Purple is the official color of military children because it combines all the colors of the military branches.
During the school week, U.S. Army Soldiers organized a physical training exercise event where students partook in various exercises.
Also, students enjoyed lunch with a military family and created cards to send to servicemembers who are deployed overseas.
The week culminated with Picatinny Arsenal personnel—including military, civilian, and first responders—bringing vehicles and various STEM displays with assistance from U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center.
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