Month Of The Military Child: April 2023

Every April the Department of Defense sponsors the Month of the Military Child — a time when the military community comes together to recognize the sacrifices and challenges that over 1.6 million military children face because of their parents’ service. This year marks the 36th anniversary of this celebration, which is part of the legacy of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger who established the Defense Department commemoration in 1986.

Cassidy Brooks, part of Syneos Health’s Clinical Training Institute (CTI) and member of our Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG), just finished 4 years of Active duty. She is now serving in the Army Reserves while her husband remains in Active duty. Their daughter was born while Cassidy was Active duty. She has sacrificed many holidays, birthdays, and other milestones away from family members as she proudly served our country.

Read more as Cassidy details how you can help support military children and the significance of the color purple.

How has being a part of a military family affected you?

Being a part of a military family has taught me that time is very precious and to not take any of it for granted. I have learned to do a lot of things by myself due to my husband being away for weeks and even months at a time. We have become very resilient as a military family.

Why is April, Month of the Military Child, significant to you?

April is such a special month for my family, my husband and I are dual military in the United States Army stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. My husband is Active duty going on 8 years and I just finished 4 years of Active Duty and now am serving in the Army Reserves. Our daughter Emry, who will be 3 years old in August was born while I was Active Duty. Being dual military, our daughter has had to sacrifice many missed holidays, birthdays and other milestones away mainly from her dad but also from me as well.

How can Syneos Health help support military children?

Syneos Health can help support military children by wearing Purple throughout the month of April, especially on Purple Up Day which is observed every year on April 15th. Another way to support is to provide links to sites that offer resources for military families.

How is the color purple significant to military families?

Purple references the joint environment of the military, encompassing all service branches, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. Purple combines each branch’s colors into one: the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard all use shades of blue, the Army uses green, and the Marines use red.

How has the veterans ERG supported you at Syneos Health?

The veteran’s ERG has supported me by welcoming me into their Teams Group, attending Town Hall meetings, and even asking me to write an article about April being the Month of the Military Child.

Syneos Health’s Veterans ERG is focused on creating a veteran-friendly environment and partnering with business leaders to find solutions to hiring and retaining veterans. We kindly ask that you show your support by wearing the color purple.

Keep up to date with our Veterans ERG: https://www.syneoshealth.com/mission-critical-syneos-health-veterans-employee-resource-group