"BRATS: Our Journey Home" - 8-Minute Trailer

[@karatepastor]

Air Force Brat - I used to envy people who had a hometown until my dad retired from the military and I had to live in one of those hometowns. I am glad that my perspective was shaped by the military brat lifestyle.

[@MrNetyzen]

It's really amazing to read these comments and find we have so many common experiences! I was a Marine Corps Brat 60's to 80's and when my dad got out it was as much a culture shock as any move overseas!

[@threefour66]

ARMY BRAT. Even though I served 4 years in the Marines, I still feel to this day that when I visit an Army base I have come home, that is my hometown.

[@NLeigh80]

Thanks for posting this vid. I grew up an Army brat for the 1st 15 years of my life. When my dad retired we moved back to my parent hometown of Charlottesville VA, What a big adjustment after leaving Camp Darby Italy, and after living on post my whole life. Wish I had kept in touch with alot of my old friends. Even now every 2 and 1/2 years I get the itch to pack up and move. Funny !

[@Gernald10]

I'm 23 and I've moved ten or eleven times in my life. I have no idea where I'm from. When I was 16 I ended up sitting in a high school class with a kid I went to third grade with- I wanted to hug him and I barely knew him. I love being a former military brat, but goodness most of us are more messed up than we'd like to admit!

[@thefairychild]

Same happened to me. And she was the one to break the ice, because neither of us had changed in the intervening years. We still looked exactly the same, ha ha.

[@drifterman319]

At 60 years old my head is messed up beyond belief. Though my dad was in the army and I served four years in the Marine Corps. I wasn't a military brat. He worked for a major insurance company. We were in 5 houses in 10 years. 69-79. Never got my feet under me and never figured out what I wanted to do.. Never had any peers or friends in any one place long enough to help guide me or influence my decisions. I'm on my 20th full-time job. I will have no retirement. It can be an empty hollow feeling not knowing where "home" is. I looked up damages of frequent relocations to children. I guess I wasn't surprised. There's nothing positive about it. I'm sure most military brats fit into those categories..

[@IrishLegacy]

WOW..... I'm an Army Brat.... my Dad spent 2 years in VietNam..... I graduated from high school in Augsburg, Germany.... but both my parents are from Ireland.... and this video moved me to no end.... what a blessing to be a part of such a special culture... can't wait to see this film.... I'm very thankful a friend who is also a military brat shared this with me :))

[@txaggievet]

Air Force Brat my whole life. I loved the life. We went places and saw things that most people will never get to. I agree there are some issues with the lifestyle, but who doesnt have life issues, Brat or not? Many people dream of taking a 2 week vacation to Europe.. I had a 7 year one. Some days I wish I had joined the military so my kids could have the amazing adventures I got growing up, I feel by comparision their lives are somewhat boring. I just do not see the negative side.

[@bratsourjourneyhome]

Hi, Laura! Glad to hear you were able to take your animals with you. We did the same - and I moved 12 times in 16 years on 3 continents. Not all families were as lucky. The film is a 90-minute examination of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful of "growing up military." We tell folks to take what applies to them and leave the rest. Just have compassion for those who weren't so fortunate - their stories matter, too! Thanks, Donna Musil, Brats Without Borders

[@rivkaolleyphd]

Saw the original first showing of the whole thing at the Naval headquarters in DC. Great. Loved it.

[@mojohns44]

I was an Army brat. The year my dad retired from the Army I left high school in Germany and moved to a civilian high school for my senior year back here in the States. Prom date? Class portrait? Student body elections? Classmates? No, none of that. I joined the Navy before graduation and went "home" to the military.

[@lisa9867]

Wow, same thing happened to me. We moved from Okinawa between my junior and senior years to South Carolina. I did go to the prom and have a class photo. I even had a yearbook. There is only one friend I remember having in my senior year and she was a military brat too. He dad ended up making Brigadier General. I too joined the military after high school. One day her dad came to my base and into the office I was working in and was giving a talk to everyone. I was a young Marine but he kept looking at me. After he was done talking to us he looked at me and asked if he had met me before. I told him I went to high school with Sarah. He looked surprised and said okay and walked away. I had lost touch with Sarah as soon as we graduated. This was in the early 80's so Facebook didn't exist.

[@MCMLXIXwasagoodyear]

Sorry, i posted that twice... anyways, wanted to end by saying, had a VERY rough transition when I went back to the US to start college. Had been gone since 6th grade, didn't drive, didn't know how to use a public phone, totally couldn't relate to many kids, all talking about their hometowns and prom and cruising Main Street and things that made me feel like an alien! I got over it, of course, but this video def hit home... Good job!

[@FranciscanGypsy]

Wow. This makes the life of a military brat seem so hard. I remember it as being an adventure. As being exciting. My sister and I looked forward to moves. My parents made it fun. Of course, maybe the fact that I was homeschooled made a difference. I didn't have to worry about changing schools.

[@djsullivan4743]

Navy Brat & proud of it!

[@billmorrison9068]

Counting kindergarten, 11 schools in 13 years, a new school every year from 8th grade on. Heartbroken to leave all the friends and girls I had bonded with after my sophomore year at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1974, still makes me sad. We moved to West Point. I was basically over high school and couldn't wait for it to end. The townies in Highland Falls were mostly ethnic bullies. Senior year, more bullies in Sacramento--my parents still live there, but I never wanted to, and I still hate the place.

[@ScaperSteph]

My experience is probably completely different from most Brats. My dad joined the Air Force in the late 60's. I was born in 73. He got out when I was 4. Then a 3 years later he joined the Army as an Active Guard Reserve. So, I semi-sorta have a hometown in New Hampshire where we lived when he got out of the Air Force (my dad's hometown). lol I only lived on a base or fort twice growing up.

[@yokota69]

I loved growing up on the air force bases my dad was stationed at, we moved 10 times by the time i graduated from high school at Yamato High at Tachikawa AB Japan in 1969. I just attend a Yamato High All School Reunion in las vegas in oct 2011, we had people there from the classes of 1960 to 1973 when the school was closed down and Yokota High School was opened in 1974, the base i lived at closed down and was given back to the japanese in Oct 1977 and is now a National Park- Showa Park.

[@MCMLXIXwasagoodyear]

Why isn't this on Netflix?! I want to rent it. .... Heidelberg American High School, Darmstadt & Heilbronn Elementary Schools, Fort Devens Kindergarten here... I totally related to this trailer (except the drunk father part - that's really universal - not army brat specific) and to this day have that rootless feeling... no friends since kindergarten, like some people... Fort Devens has closed and Heidelberg is slated to close, so REALLY feel like something's missing now, i can't even go back.

[@MairaBay]

wow! very touching! I'm not an army brat but I'm a TCK too. I can relate to many of the things said in the video. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@Paintfrog]

Air Force Brat here. Good video

[@tonystephens6858]

Air Force Brat here. Moved 21 times in 14 years. In 1969, we moved to my mother's hometown of Winchester, VA. while dad served 2 years in Vietnam - talk about a culture shock. But I guess they did that so that we would be close to family in case something bad happened. Was this the norm? Another time, we lived off base because our house/neighborhood wasn't ready to move in to. It was being built, and they were behind schedule, this was at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 1971. Seems like most of the Air Force bases I lived in have all closed down or have become low income housing units. There are pros and cons of being a brat, too many to list here.

[@DelieHawk]

Air Force Brat and this is my life.

[@candi808]

great video! i am a Navy brat and currently raising my very own Army brat...it sure is genetic!

[@MichaelaVMiller]

I tried to do the survey, but page didn't load.... Army brat... Dad was a colonel - served 30 years. We moved every 2-3 years and I loved the travel, but now that my parents are gone - I feel very much adrift. Born in Stuttgart, German, lived in a bunch of paces called Fort so and so in the US, graduated high school in Liberia, West Africa, college in Athens, Greece. Now in Jacksonville, FL , and talking to people who've never left the state... leaves me with more questions than answers.

[@bobrenfro3080]

Father was Air Corps JAG war crimes, I was at first dependent school. Had a lot of German friends my age. That, my friends was 70 years ago. Spent 3 years there. Dad retired after 38 years in USAF and became Public Defender in New Hampshire. K4OF.

[@ScaperSteph]

Cont. My dad ended up being sent to either cities like Houston (for 9 months!) or little towns like Ada, OK where I knew no one like myself (I'm an only child). So, I think of my childhood as being someone adventurous and yet very lonely at the same time. The effect of all this makes me able to take change well but yet I tend to drop people too easily. (I've lived in OH, IL, NH, MA, MD, TX, OK, MO, IL, KY ...a couple states were repeated. My parents moved away from me when I was in college)

[@tanidn]

@chrisisnumber1 I used to do compulsory military service in Singapore before, and I can understand about having the culture shock of classism and racism... I remembered, when after my platoon went through some combat drills, and crawling through the mud. I remembered distinctively looking at myself and the soldiers around me. It hit onto me that we are all the same, and the only difference between us was who was a better soldier than others....

[@kathleentumpane6583]

This trailer nearly did me in. I look forward to screening the film with a handy box of Kleenex.

[@spartangirl]

"Where are your from?" My response: "Um...well...err..." Such a difficult question to give a civilian. When another BRAT asks, it means which base did you just move from.

[@Carrara101]

Can't wait to see the entire film... Where are you from? I still have difficulty answering that ...

[@MrNetyzen]

you are so right!

[@susancogar8117]

Please put the whole movie up on KZbin! Air Force brat.

[@celticsailor7]

I spent 18 years moving around with my father. I then did 8 years moving myself. It is funny, I wouldn't have it any other way. And yes about every 3 years or so I have an almost uncontrollable urge to move.

[@BeetleBerlin]

Anyone know why this didn't run on the Military Channel the other evening. Boeblingen American JR HIGH class of 1961.

[@dalifirst]

It depended on where you were moving to. When we lived on Okinawa our dog was one that got left behind when somebody moved and when we moved we gave him away to somebody who was staying. This was the 60s and it was harder. The same thing happened with cars. You bought yours from somebody leaving and you sold it to somebody staying when you left.

[@dieselscience]

@IrishLegacy I went to five different high schools before graduating from Fulda American HS.

[@ceciliacomedy]

Army Brat too.....it is a question I had never put consciously but I always say 'Home is where the heart is'..........think i do suffer a little from Avoidance personality ...but film good to see

[@kamiakhawk]

Navy Brat here!

[@paulinotou]

@chrisisnumber1 we were stationed at scholfield too. i live in belgium now. we would have never have been stationed out of the country if my parents didnt request, because the whole 20 years my dad been in the military we never got out of the states. they found a spot out here in Belgium for us

[@cuppatea4466]

Where can we see the whole film??

[@MCMLXIXwasagoodyear]

Why isn't this on Netflix?! I want to rent it. Heidelberg American High School, Darmstadt & Heilbronn Elementary Schools, Fort Devens Kindergarten here... I totally related to this trailer (except the drunk father part - that's really universal - not army brat specific) and to this day have that rootless feeling... no friends since kindergarten, like some people... Fort Devens has closed and Heidelberg is slated to close, so REALLY feel like something's missing now, i can't even go back.

[@lisa9867]

I live about 15 minutes from Fort Devens. There are still military on the base but it's now the town of Devens. A lot of my relatives worked on the base in civilian jobs. When the base closed they all lost their jobs. One uncle moved to Arizona to keep his job. He bought a house there. He has now retired but can't move back because the housing market is so bad there he can't sell his house. I think he likes it there but I know they really want to come back to their home.

[@MrSteve280]

I was interviewed in 2003 by Donna Musil for this. Those that were interviewed were given transcripts of their interview and later offered attendance to the screening in a number of cities and access to an advanced copy of the film. I was a brat from 1954 to 1972, 11 moves, 9 schools. I could hardly relate to the film. Wrapping up the movie with a base high school reunion in Germany also seemed out of place as it wouldn't apply to the 99% of brats which have not graduated from a base high school. It excludes an analysis of how the brat environment changed between the major periods of the Cold War/Vietnam era and the post Desert Storm era. I understand and appreciate that the film could not be all things to all people. However, not even being able to see hardly any piece of my experience much less any elements of my interview was very disappointing.

[@mikeet69]

Sorry that your sub sub culture was not represented. Same for me as I only lived outside the CONUS for 3 years in Hawaii so no passports or defense department high schools. Also we often lived there in the public and not on the installation. So even a subculture can have some differences. Still similarities too. Still enjoyed the documentary despite not being an exact match for my experience.

[@Karatekicker]

All this is so true!! - Air Force BRAT!!

[@btofan]

I was an Air Force brat, moved 18 times in 23 years. Never knew what racism was until my dad retired and we became a civilians and moved to his home town were he was born. It was all so clique-ish.

[@cuppatea4466]

I didn’t know what racism was either until dad went to Viet Nam and we lived in a regular town while he was gone. I had no idea how awful the rest of the country was. It was a shock I still can’t get over

[@tonystephens6858]

​@cuppatea4466 My father served in Vietnam for two years. My mother, sisters, and I moved off base to her hometown in Virginia while my father was overseas. Was this a common practice, in case something went wrong over there? Was it for emotional support? My mom's parents and brother lived there, too.

[@gmoro5608]

RIP General Norman Schwarzkopf.

[@welboo200]

I am only sixteen, and i have lived in 4 states and nine houses. once on a base. funny thing is, evan though i was born in another country it was not due to the military. no, my parents were missionaries first then my dad went into the army.

[@kamiakhawk]

just before 6:30 the lesson things were true i was a year ahead of my class when i moved back so my whole 6th grade year i didn't have to try hard just know what pages and then do it

[@decumoose]

Military child V's Civilian child ,We know the outcome Cilvi steet bullies for another win.

[@lauradell2be]

Sorry, but I disagree with the lady whose family did NOT move with their dogs. My family took our cat and dog with us half way around the world and back, to four duty stations and then to my parents' retirement home where they lived to ripe old ages. We would not have allowed otherwise. My dad was an officer in the Air Force, so maybe we had more privileges than some others, but our pets traveled to meet us each time we moved, & I'm glad they did! :)

[@terriem3922]

Try to get job references when you've lived in >= 13 houses by 10th grade. No one knows you! On the other hand, living in Europe was a cultural adventure.😘