For family and country: essays of military children Published Dec. 14, 2012 By RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall School Liaison Office RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall School Liaison Office ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The military lifestyle requires our military community to make great sacrifices in the call of duty. Sometimes overlooked, however, is the service and perspective of our youngest military community members -- our children. To hear their unique voice, the RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall School Liaison Office hosted an essay contest in November 2012 as part of the Month of the Military Family celebrations. Every year, the president signs a proclamation declaring November the Month of the Military Family. This special month is dedicated to honoring the commitment and sacrifices made by the families of the nation's service members. The essay contest asked students "What does it mean to be part of a military family?" With more than 140 student essays received, the School Liaison Office quickly learned that the youngest military family members had a lot to say about their unique experiences and perspectives to as part of a military family. The essay contest was open for students ages 5-18 who have a family member serving on active duty or reserves, as a military civilian or working as a military contractor at RAFs Lakenheath, Feltwell or Mildenhall. A panel made up of members of the Lakenheath Integrated Delivery System team and volunteers judged the essays. Prizes were awarded to students who earned first, second and third places in each of the four age/grade categories. A handful of honorable mention awards were also presented for their exceptional quality. Col. Scott Benza, 48th Mission Support Group commander, surprised some of the award winners and presented the prizes to the students at their school. "It was wonderful to surprise these students at school as we announced their achievements," said Megan Fraser, RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall School Liaison Office. "The high school students were unsure of why they had to report to the principal's office and face the commander, but their faces lit up as soon as they discovered it was to be recognized for their accomplishments in the essay contest. It was a joy to distribute their well-deserved prizes." All of the winning essays were impressive and clearly expressed the advantages and disadvantages of growing up in a military family. "It has always been a huge honor to be able to say that I am a part of a military family and to say that my father is serving as a member of the Air Force," said Makensie Gorham, winner of the Lakenheath Middle School first place award, in her essay. "Writing this essay gave me a chance to talk a little bit about our experiences as a military family." In her essay, Makensie explains one of the challenges of growing up in a military family: moving. When she was in the third grade, her family learned they were moving to England. "We had three foster children at home with us and we wondered what would happen to them," said Makensie. "My parents fought to adopt them so they could come with us and we went from a family of four to a family of seven! Soon we were on a plane to go live in a totally different part of the world." She continued, "As a military family who loves and supports each other, we can get through even the toughest battles. Battles to be fought are often on the home front, not only in the combat area." For her winning essay, Makensie Gorham won prizes valued at $125. The School Liaison Office distributed more than $1,350 in prizes with the help of contest sponsors including Army and Air Force Exchange Services, RAF Lakenheath Officer Civilian Spouses Club, RAF Lakenheath Enlisted Civilian Spouses Club and the Liberty Wing Top III, along with others that offered prizes to the contest winners. Casey Martel, a junior at Lakenheath High School and first place winner, earned $150 in prizes for her insightful essay. One of the topics she highlighted in her essay was the community of military life. "Military families suffer many hardships, such as deployments, but the bright side is, in our community, someone is always around to lend a helping hand," Casey said. "Whenever my mother had to go away, whether for a class or deployment, there was always someone outside of my family to watch out for me. The great thing about a military community is everyone is going through the same trials, which allow for a network of communications and friends in all corners of the earth." Jacqueline Orcutt, second place winner at the high school, wrote about how both of her parents' service has affected her outlook on life. "My parents' service in the military has helped me to define the real values that I want to live my own life by," wrote Jacqueline. "They have shown me that to serve your country is one of the most important things a person can do in their life. They both teach and model the values of service to others, hard work and perseverance, as well as kindness and compassion for others. I think these values are even more prominent among military families as we build a home wherever in the world we find ourselves, make friends and take care of our own family, as well as the military families around us." The essays by Casey and Jacqueline, along with the other high school winners such as Anica Midthun and Bailey Brown, demonstrate their great ability in creative writing and reflective thinking on a topic close to their hearts. Younger students also submitted excellent work. Leila Masahilit, the second place winner in the 4th-5th grade category, attends a local British school. She enjoys participating in contests and when asked why she entered this contest she said it is because the military is important to her life. Leila was born at Yokota, Japan, and has lived in San Antonio and here in England. "My dad is retiring from the military in eight months and as I write this, it makes me look back on all of the good memories I have shared with my family and friends," Leila wrote. "I am very grateful and thankful for all of the advantages the military has provided and after you read this essay you can join me in being proud of military kids." Many parents of the entrants encouraged their children to apply for the contest. "When I saw the announcement for the Month of the Military Family Essay Contest, I brought it up to Makensie right away," said Karim Gorham, mother of Makensie Gorham. "Makensie was excited about it and said she would love to participate. I thought this would be a great way for Makensie, who dreams of becoming a veterinarian, to familiarize herself with writing for scholarships and start preparing for the future." "Winning this contest has been very special for her, she was thrilled to find out that she won and has been absolutely glowing ever since," said Gorham. "She sets a great example for her younger brothers and sister to follow, with her caring heart and dedication to her school work. We, her family and friends, are so very proud of her!" The School Liaison Office is proud of the number and quality of student entries for this year's essay contest and plan to offer similar competitions in the future. "It was great to read through all of the thought-provoking essays submitted by the students of the RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath communities," said Lisa Thompson, School Liaison Officer for RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall. "Parents and teachers should be very proud of their children and students. Their love and pride for their families was easily apparent in the essays they submitted in the Month of the Military Family Essay Contest. The support by our community base partners was incredible and truly made the awards special for the student winners. This contest would not have been such a success without their support." Award Winners: K-3: Marquessa Torbensen- 1st place Kamryn Fandrey- 2nd place Bryana Russin- 3rd place Kate Farrell- honorable mention Jonathan Sheldon- honorable mention Katelyn Pauley- honorable mention 4-5: Caroline Orcutt- 1st place Leila Masalihit- 2nd place Kayla Spier- 3rd place Victoria Orcutt- honorable mention 6-8: Makensie Gorham- 1st place Daniel Orcutt- 2nd place Peyton Fandrey- 3rd place Kelsey Garcia- honorable mention Emily Van Ausdal- honorable mention James Boden- honorable mention 9-12: Casey Martel- 1st place Jacqueline Orcutt- 2nd place Anica Midthun- 3rd place Bailey Brown- honorable mention