What About All That Moving

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The Bowens have moved 4 times in their 12-year marriage. The Davises have moved 8 times in 16 years. They, like all military families, accept this as part of their job. They try to accentuate the positive impact of moving.

"I was an Air Force `brat'," says SallyAnne Bowen. "During my childhood, we moved back and forth between the United States and Europe every 3 years. When you move so often, you realize that you can't waste time being shy or stand-offish. You soon realize, since most of the other kids in school are also military brats, that if you want to have any friends, you need to accept everyone regardless of their race, sex, or religion. As an adult I've found that the same is true of spouses. Now, if we could only get the rest of the world to be so understanding."

Master Sergeant Bob Cornyn and his wife, Linda, who have adopted many children with special needs, also believe that the mobility of military families should not be seen as a disadvantage when raising children. "We've lived in France, Germany, Belgium, and Korea," says Cornyn, "and in the States we've lived in Georgia, Massachusetts, and Washington. Our children are more aware of the diversity of cultures both in the United States and overseas than children who stay in one town throughout their childhood."