(Editor's note: Following is the second in a four-part series highlighting exemplary military youths at Fort Drum during the DoD's Month of the Military Child).
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Things can be tough for the children of Soldiers who need to deploy. The last time Adam Mayers' father left, much of the built-in discipline at the Mayers household seemed to follow the Soldier overseas.
"Within the first few hours of him deploying, I (had) sprayed myself with sunscreen in the eyes," said the witty seventh-grader from Indian River Middle School.
Adam's talent for making cartoonish light of almost any situation is legendary among his Family Members.
But his parents say in addition to his quirky humor, their son assumes a maturity and responsibility that is both admirable and resolute whenever his father deploys.
"I have a prosthetic leg," said Betty Mayers, who lost her left leg to cancer years ago. "Adam is my missing leg when his dad is gone."
Adam's father, who is slated to deploy later this year, acknowledged his eldest child's indispensable role on the home front, noting he possesses a resiliency common to many military children.
"Adam can take my absences and anything the Army throws at him and push through it and come out the same or often (an even) better person," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Mayers, platoon sergeant of 2nd Platoon, 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Military Police Battalion. "He provides the Family with (the) stability that I can't when I am (gone)."
"He completely takes over the chores," he added, "(and) he keeps a smile on his mom's face with his jokes."
Adam has a 10-year-old sister, Emma, and a 2-year-old brother, Luke.
On top of keeping a light mood around the house, Adam mows the lawn; shovels snow; makes grocery runs; walks and feeds the dog; installs, charges and fixes all household electronics; helps care for his little brother; double checks all locks in the home before going to bed; and even takes on cooking responsibilities in the kitchen.
"He is seriously a wiz in the kitchen," Betty Mayers said. "He actually just lectured me for defrosting ground beef incorrectly!"
When the subject of his mom's prosthetic leg comes up, Adam quickly blames the Chernobyl Disaster of the 1980s. But his mother laughs, denying the claim.
"I was living in Germany near the border (with Russia) when I was a teenager," she said. "My dad was in the military, too.
"(My father) is convinced it was Chernobyl because we were living there when it exploded."
The Mayers Family moved from Fort Belvoir, Va., to Fort Drum last summer. It was Christopher Mayers' second time being assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (LI). The Family spent most of his 17-year Army career in the Washington, D.C. -- Maryland -- Virginia area, except for two years in the North Country when Adam was a toddler.
Adam attended school through the sixth grade in Virginia, where he earned "As" and "Bs" in every subject. He said he was not happy about moving to northern New York and leaving friends behind, but he made new friends at Indian River and kept in touch with old ones via his online gaming console.
Betty Mayers said although known for his wit and wisecracks, Adam is definitely a "thinker," with a knack for asking teachers out-of-the-box questions that don't dovetail well with surface-level answers.
His good performance in the classroom carries over into athletics. An avid swimmer, Adam did not have to leave his favorite sport in Virginia. He joined the Indian River Middle School Swim Team last year and said he plans to practice at the Magrath Gym pool this summer with hopes of being captain of the swim team next winter season.
Adam also enjoys hiking, camping and backpacking.
As a Boy Scout with Troop 26, he recently was re-elected as a patrol leader, a position he has held since last summer.
Christopher Mayers said he is proud of the natural leadership abilities his "wild-haired" son exhibits and looks forward to refining those skills with him.
He also said Adam's love of history leads him to research the areas he deploys to and keeps Family Members informed about the various customs and cultures of the region.
"A lot of Army kids see these places as war zones," he said. "Adam sees them as areas where (people) work, live, have a history and (practice) religions. He presents Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa to my wife and his siblings as what they are: civilizations that are different than ours."
At Fort Belvoir last spring, Adam won the Daughters of the American Revolution's Excellence in American History award for his overall school performance.
He said he loves American history because it teaches us about "our mistakes inside of our accomplishments."
His passion for studying it also comes from Fort Belvoir.
"I grew up around Washington, D.C.," Adam said. "I was reminded of our country's accomplishments daily. It literally was in my backyard (in) Mount Vernon.
"Being exposed to history, and really reading and understanding the quotes on all of these monuments, has made me realize that people in general interpret history to fit their own agenda," the 12-year-old said. "Not just politicians, but all people.
"If people want to do that, that is OK," he added. "But those people should be more informed before they go spouting out opinions not backed by fact. We have a lot of dark periods in our history we pretend didn't happen, but when you ignore that stuff it can't change."
In addition to history, Adam enjoys science. His interest in the environment pushed him last year to study inexpensive water-purifying techniques to use in disaster events. The project earned him third place in his school's science fair.
As a member of the student council at his previous school, he also managed an upcycling program and helped start a composting program in the cafeteria, obtaining leftover foods and scraps like apple cores, banana peels and uneaten vegetables to create compost for gardens on school grounds.
He said now that he is comfortable in his new school, he looks forward to running for student government at Indian River next year and maybe even researching the potential for a composting program here.
Adam's parents are feeling more comfortable and settled into the area as well. Christopher Mayers said compared to Fort Belvoir, Fort Drum's off-post civilian community is very different.
"I enjoy the small town feel of the civilian community here in New York," he said. "My kids and I have found a unique and fun running community, where we participate in charity runs and get to know a good group of people."
And with his father readying to deploy later this year, Adam said he is prepared for the challenges ahead.
"I'll be doing more than the usual chores around here," he said. "(But) I'm so used to it."
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