An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 23, 2010

North Dakota governor recognizes military children

By Courtesy Story

BISMARCK, N.D., - Members of the Interservice Family Assistance Committee (ISFAC), including staff from the North Dakota National Guard's Service Member and Family Support division (SMFS), paid tribute to military children by observing the signing of the Month of the Military Child proclamation by North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven today in the State Capitol building.

April is the Month of the Military Child and was designed to recognize the sacrifices and applaud the courage of military children.

North Dakota National Guard State Youth Coordinator Tonya Sigl said that more than 1.7 million American children younger than 18 have at least one parent serving in the military. It also is estimated that the U.S. Army has more than 900,000 military children with one or both parents having deployed multiple times.

"Oftentimes, our focus is on the service member," said Hoeven. "It's also important for us, however, to celebrate the spirit and will of our military children. The entire military family serves and sacrifices when their loved ones are deployed. This proclamation is just one way to show our appreciation for their contributions to our state and nation."

Jennifer Vannurden, wife of Capt. Walyn Vannurden; commander of the 188th Air Defense Artillery Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) IV in Afghanistan, and their children, Mark and Alaina, joined Hoeven for the signing of the proclamation.

Hoeven pointed out the dedication of military Families in North Dakota by referencing the recent recipients of the national Army Guard Family of the Year award, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Haugen; first sergeant for Detachment 1 of the 816th Engineer Company in Mott, and his wife, Tess Haugen, and their three children. The Haugens were the first North Dakota Army Guard Family to win at the national level.

Col. Dale Adams, director joint staff for the North Dakota National Guard, explained the hardships he's seen his children experience during his more than 30 years of service.

"The service member receives a lot of recognition for what we do, but what's not commonly recognized is the demands of that service that our placed on our children and Families," he said. "Nobody asked them if they'd sign on the dotted line to have their mom or dad absent during their birthdays and celebrations that are important to them."

"We all have one thing in common with the Month of the Military Child in that we were all children once," said Rob Keller, director of the North Dakota National Guard's SMFS division. "And some of us never grow out of that. We're still kids at heart."

 

 

Related Articles
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing marshals a C-130H Hercules at the Combat Readiness and Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 5, 2025. Exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike is a joint military training focusing on contingency response operations, agile combat employment, aeromedical evacuation, maritime training, specialized fueling operations and strategic airlift and airdrops.
Air Guard Conducts Sentry South-Southern Strike Exercise
By Senior Airman Shardae McAfee, | Feb. 7, 2025
GULFPORT, Miss. – Approximately 500 service members from the Active, Guard and Reserve components of the U.S. military participated in exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike 2025 at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training...

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jack A. James Jr., right, the commander of the New York National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, speaks with Swedish Army soldiers during the division’s Warfighter 25-3 exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Jan. 31, 2025. The Swedish soldiers’ participation with the New York Army National Guardsmen during Warfighter Exercise 25-3 marks their second visit with the 42nd Infantry Division and their first experience working with the United States in a division-level warfighter exercise.
Swedish Soldiers Train with 42nd Infantry Division Partners
By Sgt. Grace Nechanicky, | Feb. 7, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Four Swedish army service members spent time with the 42nd Infantry Division learning about large-scale combat operations during a warfighting exercise from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8.The Swedish soldiers’...

Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Day retrieves simulated blood supplies delivered by a blueflite drone while Sgt. Benjamin Keikkala provides security during a field training exercise at Camp Rilea, Oregon, Jan. 30, 2025. The innovative drone delivery system demonstrated rapid resupply capabilities for combat medics in tactical environments.
Oregon Guard Combat Medics Test Drone Delivery of Supplies
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Feb. 6, 2025
WARRENTON, Ore. - Combat medics with the Oregon National Guard are adapting their battlefield medicine skills for large-scale combat operations through innovative training, including drone-delivered medical supplies at Camp...