April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, highlighting the important role of the military child in the armed forces.
“Month of the Military Child means we take time to recognize our amazing children that also make many sacrifices to support their parents who serve,” said Chief Master Sgt. Melissa Royster, 55th Wing Command Chief.
The family shows a full circle of the military lifestyle with Royster reaching the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force and her oldest daughter deciding to continue the legacy of service before self in the military.
“I told my mom a lot of times I didn’t want to join the military,” said Nyla White, the oldest of two daughters. “I only decided to join this year.”
White currently works with the kids at Offutt Air Force Base’s Youth Center. She is scheduled to leave for Air Force Basic Military Training this summer. She described her life as a military child as adventurous though moving a lot was difficult. Nyla said Japan was her favorite place to live growing up.
“You get to travel a lot and meet new people.” said White. “In Japan it was all military kids, so we all had a lot in common. It was easier for us to connect with each other.”
Both girls went to the military child development enters and attended youth center activities at different stages. Nyla had some advice for younger kids with parents in the military.
“I would say be patient with your parents especially with all the moves. I didn’t want to go anywhere, but when your parents are in the military you have to adapt and move around,” said Nyla.
Royster’s youngest daughter, Naomi, has a passion for basketball. She plays small forward for Bellevue West High School and has scored 484 points this season. Naomi has played an integral part helping them to go to the girls’ basketball NSAA Class A semifinals in Lincoln. Colleges are already looking at Naomi as a junior. She’s looking forward to next year’s basketball season and playing in summer leagues.
Describing her life as a military child Naomi said, “Sometimes moving used to be stressful but now it’s chill; you just have to get used to it and have fun with it.”
Royster is proud of her daughters and says they have learned a lot as a family throughout the years.
“Being a parent of military kids has been rewarding,” said Royster. “Seeing how resilient our kids are with each move over the years has been awesome. However, it has not come without challenges. Moving can be difficult and I’ve learned that by talking with our kids before a move and helping mentally prepare them has made the moves and deployments go a lot smoother. We are very proud of our girls and the young ladies they have grown up to become. “