Military brat Military brat is an English - language colloquial or military slang term used in several countries to describe the children and teenagers of active - duty military personnel . It also describes the unique subculture s associated with these populations . It is also a recognized term of cultural identity . The term denotes childhood and / or adolescent immersion in military culture to the point where the mainstream culture of one ' s home country may seem foreign or peripheral . In a number of countries ( but not all ) where there are military brat subcultures , the term also references a lifestyle of high mobility , as the child ' s family follows the soldier - parent great distances from one non - combat assignment after another during most or at least a significant portion of one ' s growing up years . For highly mobile military brat populations , a complex ' mixed ' cultural identity often results , due to the resulting exposure to numerous national or regional cultures while growing up . Within military culture , the term " military brat " is not considered to be an insult , but rather connotes affection and respect . War - related family stresses , including long - term war - related absence of a parent , as well as war aftermath issues , are common features of military brat life in some countries , although the degree of war - involvement of individual countries with military brat subcultures may vary . Life and culture . A common pattern in these subcultures is a heavy childhood and adolescent immersion in military culture to the point of marginalizing ( or having significant feelings of difference in relation to ) one ' s national civilian culture . This is characterized by a strong identification with military culture rather than civilian culture . Another term for this is the " militarization of childhood " . In a number of countries where military brat subcultures occur ( but with some exceptions and to varying degrees ) , there may also be an itinerant or modern nomadic lifestyle involved as the child follows their military - parent ( s ) from military base to military base , in many cases never having a hometown ( or at least going through very long periods of being away from one ' s home town ) . It also can involve living outside of one ' s home country at or near overseas military bases in foreign cultures , or in regions within one ' s home country far from one ' s home region , along with experiences of significant cultural difference in either case . Highly mobile Military brat subcultures have also been described as modern nomadic or peripatetic subcultures . Use of term . The use of the English term " military brat " is in common use ( within military cultures ) in Australia , India ( also called " Fauji brats " ) , Canada ( also called " Base Brats " ) , Pakistan , the Philippines , New Zealand , the United Kingdom ( also called " Pad Brats " , " Patch Brats " , " Cabbage Patch Kids " ) , and the United States . Also known as camp followers , there have been such military - dependent subcultures ( under various other names ) in many parts of the world for thousands of years . Feelings of difference , military brat identity versus civilian identity . Many military brats report difficulty in identifying where they belong ( due to a lifestyle of constantly moving , and also immersion in military culture , and in many cases , also foreign cultures , as opposed to the civilian culture of their native countries , while growing up ) and frequently feel like outsiders in relation to the civilian culture of their native countries . The home countries of a number of Military Brat subculture s have highly mobile ( modern Nomadic ) lifestyles , or at least significant overseas ( or distant - internal ) assignments for career military families and their children and adolescents while growing up , including Canada , Britain , France , India , Pakistan , the Philippines , Australia , New Zealand and the United States . These military - dependent subculture s are generations old . American military brats have also been identified as a distinct , 200 - year old American subculture .