OUR STORY
From a Mission to a Movement. From a Movement to a Permanent Institution.
Every institution has a beginning.
Some begin with a building.
Some begin with a charter.
Some begin with an idea.
Brat Corps® began with a simple but profound question:
Where is the permanent home for military brats?
For generations, military brats have shared a remarkable way of life shaped by service, sacrifice, mobility, resilience, and global experiences. They have crossed oceans, attended multiple schools, built friendships across continents, and learned to adapt wherever military service called their families.
Yet despite these shared experiences, there was no permanent institution dedicated exclusively to preserving military brat identity across an entire lifetime.
Brat Corps® was created to change that.
THE FOUNDATION
Long before Brat Corps® existed, the work began with a commitment to military-connected children and families.
That commitment led to the creation of the Military Children's Six Foundation® (MC6®), a nonprofit organization established in 2019, to advocate for military-connected children, strengthen families, and develop programs that recognized the unique experiences of military life.
MC6® became the foundation upon which a much larger vision would eventually be built.
A NATIONAL PLATFORM
As the work expanded, one truth became increasingly clear.
Military-connected children deserved more than programs.
They deserved national recognition.
This vision led to the creation of the Military Child World Expo® (MCWE®), a national gathering that brought together military children, families, educators, healthcare providers, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders to celebrate the military child while connecting families with opportunities, resources, and inspiration.
The Expo demonstrated that military-connected communities were eager for a place to gather, collaborate, and celebrate together.
It also revealed something much larger.
THE VISION EXPANDS
Through the Military Child World Expo®, relationships grew.
Communities connected.
Partners collaborated.
New ideas emerged.
One realization became impossible to ignore:
Military brat identity does not end when childhood ends.
It continues throughout adulthood.
It shapes careers.
Families.
Leadership.
Community service.
Lifelong friendships.
The military brat journey is not a childhood experience.
It is a lifelong identity.
That realization transformed the vision.
BUILDING AN INSTITUTION
As the movement grew, the stewardship of the Military Child World Expo® evolved through the Military Child World Expo Foundation® (MCWEF®), providing dedicated governance and organizational support for the continued growth of the Expo and related national initiatives.
At the same time, an even broader vision began taking shape.
Rather than creating another nonprofit organization focused on individual programs, the goal became creating something permanent.
An institution.
An institution capable of serving military brats across every generation while building stronger military-connected communities throughout the world.
THE BIRTH OF BRAT CORPS®
Brat Corps® was established to become that institution.
It was designed not as a single program, annual event, or membership organization, but as the permanent institutional home for military brats throughout every stage of life.
Children.
Teenagers.
College students.
Young professionals.
Parents.
Veteran military brats.
Senior generations.
Everyone belongs.
MORE THAN A COMMUNITY
Brat Corps® is more than a community.
It is an ecosystem.
An institution designed to strengthen military brat identity through lifelong belonging, leadership development, destination experiences, knowledge, community transformation, heritage preservation, and legacy building.
Within that ecosystem, specialized organizations and initiatives advance distinct areas of the mission while remaining united under one institutional vision.
Together, they create opportunities that extend far beyond any single program or event.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Every generation inherits the legacy of those who came before.
Every generation also carries the responsibility of preparing the way for those who follow.
Brat Corps® exists to ensure that military brat identity continues to grow stronger with each generation.
We envision communities intentionally designed to support military-connected families.
We envision national experiences that bring military brats together from around the world.
We envision research, leadership, education, and innovation shaping stronger military-connected communities.
Most of all, we envision a future where no military brat ever wonders whether they belong.
Because they already know.
They have a home.
OUR CONTINUING STORY
The story of Brat Corps® is still being written.
Every new member.
Every new Post.
Every partnership.
Every community.
Every destination.
Every volunteer.
Every family.
Every generation.
Adds another chapter.
Together, we are building more than an organization.
We are building a permanent institution that will serve military brats for generations to come.
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Military Brat Identity
Mission, Vision & Values
Leadership
Governance
Family of Organizations
Community
Experiences
Legacy