When the Senate Youth Program visited Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, March 13, the experience held special meaning for two students, both children of military service members.
Their visit to the cemetery preceded the Month of the Military Child, observed every April. This observance recognizes that, while service members wear the uniform, their children share the unique challenges and sacrifices that come with military service.
Senate Youth Program students Ava Ellis and Michael Carbone attend schools within the Department of War Education Activity, a school system that serves children on American bases worldwide. Visiting Arlington National Cemetery — where the stories of children like them are woven into the landscape — inspired reverence and prompted both to reflect on what it means to grow up in a military family.
Ellis, whose father serves in the Air Force and is currently stationed at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, described the experience as "very emotional." She added that visiting the cemetery helped her understand parts of military life that many children may not see.
"As a military child, a lot of times you see the good parts, but we are often shielded from the harder aspects, especially when my dad deploys or takes on a tougher job," she said. "Being here opens my eyes and helps me see all aspects of it."
For Carbone, the son of an Army soldier currently stationed at Garrison Wiesbaden in Germany, the visit brought back memories of his father's deployments.
"Coming in, it was very emotional," he said. "It made me think back to when my dad was deployed to Afghanistan and wondering if he was going to come home," Carbone said, adding that he felt a greater appreciation for both of his parents' service, including his mother's role as a military spouse.
Senate Youth Program students laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then witnessed the changing of the guard. As the ceremony concluded and the familiar notes of taps echoed across the plaza, the moment prompted quiet reflection for Ellis and Carbone.
"I forgot that they play taps during the ceremony," she said. "You hear it on military bases every night, but hearing it here reminds you of the sacrifice behind everything."
For military children like Ellis and Carbone, service is woven into daily life, shaping their perspectives in ways many of their peers may never see. Their visit to Arlington National Cemetery, shortly before the Month of the Military Child, enabled them to gain a deeper understanding of their families' sacrifices and their own place within the legacy that the cemetery preserves. Ellis and Carbone's reflections highlighted that military children are part of a longer history of service, sacrifice and remembrance — and that the cemetery honors not only those who served, but also the families who stand behind them.