Q&A with Matthew Constantine
President of the Texas Military Forces Youth Council and Trevor Romain Foundation Ambassador
Last summer, the Trevor Romain Foundation was invited to attend a Pre-Deployment Yellow Ribbon event in Austin, Texas, for Army National Guard families deploying out of Camp Mabry. We met many outstanding young boys and girls, all of whom had grown up in military families, including Matthew Constantine, President of the Texas Military Forces Youth Council.
From that meeting, Matthew is now an official Ambassador of the Trevor Romain Foundation. In honor of the Month of the Military Child, here is a Q&A with Matthew about what it was like growing up in a military family.
Name: Matthew Constantine
Age: 16
Hometown: Idalou, TX
Number of siblings: One sister, age 18
Do you have any other family members in the military?
My father is in the National Guard. I also have an uncle in the Army, a cousin in the Air Force, and a cousin in the Navy. My mother served in the Army Reserves, both my grandfathers served in the Air Force, and both my great grandfathers served in the army. (My parents met serving in the same unit in the Army Reserves in 1990.)
How many deployments have you experienced?
Four since September 11th. And my father is leaving for train up in May for another deployment.
How old were you when you remember your Dad’s first deployment?
Seven
How long was he gone and what do you remember most about that time?
He was gone for one year to White Sands, NM. I remember not knowing where dad was, if he was coming back, and what he was doing. All I knew was that he was gone for what seemed like a life time, and was protecting me and our country.
Trevor spoke to the issue of resiliency at the Youth Symposium last month. What does resiliency mean to you?
The definition of resiliency is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. This has been the definition of my life for the past nine years. I had to grow up faster than most kids and take on added responsibilities. While my dad has been deployed I have had to overcome adversities such as not having my father there to comfort me while I went through surgeries and when there was a death in the family. These are times when people need the most support. I really needed him home with me. With time and support I learned how to deal with and express my experiences and feelings in a positive way. I decided to take what I learned about myself personally, and use it to make a difference in the lives of other military children. I think that military families are the definition of resilient.
What do you think civilians should know about what it is like to be a military kid?
They should know that it is especially hard being a military kid because of all the challenges that we have to overcome but that we are a unique type of kid. These same challenges are the reason why military youth become strong and independent people. If they know of a military family, they should take the time to get to know them and share in the pride that we have for our great nation.
What do you think the military should know about what it is like to be a military kid?
The military should know that the effects of deployments have changed over the past 9 years. The information and resources should be updated to reflect these changes. Children in the past have been kept out of the loop and not included in the process of deployment. Children can deal more effectively with something they understand instead of being left on their own to imagine the worst. The deployments where I was “protected” and kept out of the loop were much harder for me to deal with than the deployments where I took an active role and attended FRG meetings, packed care packages, and had support from other military families. I made it my mission to know all I could about what was happening. This took the scary unknown and turned it into pride for my father and other service members.
What are the highlights of your year as President of the President of the Texas Military Forces Youth Council?
The most rewarding thing about being the President of the Texas Military Forces Youth Council is being in a position to have a positive impact on the lives of other military youth. When I can empower other military youth with the tools, resources, and support necessary to be resilient and strong, that is what is the most rewarding. Working on changes and implementing programs that can make a difference are very gratifying. I have had the opportunity to attend the AFAP or Army Family Action Plan conference in Washington D.C.. I attended the conference as the National Guard representative on the Army Teen Panel. ATP is the voice for Army youth from around the world. The ATP presented youth issues to Chief of Staff, General Casey, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Chiarelli, and SMA Preston. This meeting was the most important one for me because I had the chance to represent all of the National Guard youth.
What are your plans after high school?
I plan to major in Mechanical Engineering and to serve my country in the military, as my dad has for the last 23 years.
