Sheltons Praise Military Child Education Coalition
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
PALM HARBOR, Fla., July 16, 2001 -- Next to their parents,
children of military families have no better advocates than
the Military Child Education Coalition, Army Gen. Henry H.
Shelton told the group July 13 at their annual conference
here.
"You're the key for their success," the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff said. "You can make a big
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| “We owe it to our children to do the right thing. They’re already facing enough
adversity just being the children of military members,” Army Gen. Henry H.
Shelton said at the Military Child Education Coalition annual conference in
Palm Harbor, Fla. Photo by Rudi Williams.
(Click photo for screen-resolution image; high-resolution image available).
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difference." Shelton said the coalition plays a vitally
important role in highlighting the issues young people have
to deal with, particularly those involving America's mobile
society. "Outstanding educators, spouses, armed forces
members and professional individuals … deal with an area
that's critically important, not only to our armed forces,
but to the future of our nation."
MCEC began in 1997 as a partnership of Fort Hood, Texas,
and the school district of neighboring Killeen to provide a
forum and to showcase the needs of the military child. The
coalition goal was to develop an understanding of the
issues facing Hood students and to find solutions.
Though the Army established it, Shelton said, the
organization could benefit all services and civilian
communities. "MCEC is about the education of our children,"
the chairman said. "That's important whether you're a
soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman or
merchant mariner. It's important to corporate America as
well, because corporate America has become more mobile."
"We have different types of stresses -- maybe a parent who
is deployed, frequent moves, unexpected moves and lack of
predictability in their lives," Shelton said. "A lot of
things make military lifestyle very stressful. MCEC is
highlighting those issues and working to ease the burdens
our military families face. That's applicable to all of our
armed forces."
The chairman said he and his wife Carolyn said they are
proud to be honorary MCEC advisers and look forward to be
even more involved in the future.
"In my 37 years as an Army wife, I don't know of another
program that has the potential for improving the lives of
our school-aged children as MCEC does," Carolyn Shelton
said. "For every child whose transition from one school to
another was made just a little bit easier I say,' God bless
you.'"
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