2026 Military Child of the Year for the Air Force Discovers Strength in Adversity
Change and absence were hallmarks of Elizabeth Stanton’s childhood in a military family. Now she wants to change the world. The challenges of Elizabeth’s youth built the strength and character that earned her recognition as Operation Homefront’s 2026 Military Child of the Year® for the Air Force.
Elizabeth, 16, is a senior at International Leadership of Texas Aggieland High School, graduating in three years as a top scholar and National Honor Society member. She is the daughter of Joshua and Cheri Stanton of College Station, Texas. She has two siblings, Ben, 13; and Caroline, 20.
Joshua, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, served 21 years. His last duty station was Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, where he was deputy commander of the Persistent Attack and Reconnaissance Operations Center.
Elizabeth’s earliest memory of her dad is greeting him in an airport when he returned home from the first of three deployments to Afghanistan. Joshua deployed seven times — an absence of 32 months total. With absences for training exercises included, he was gone more than four years total.
She sees the award as an opportunity to share her story of resilience with other military children facing similar struggles.
“Being a military child is hard, and we often have very negative experiences,” she said. “But there are hidden strengths that come from it. You can turn those experiences into connections and growth.”
Elizabeth’s strength shows in her home, community, and competitive sports.
Her mother’s cancer was her first experience in advocacy, inspiring her to support others.
She currently practices this with a local food pantry, A Hopeful Harvest, where her place on the board of directors allows her to advocate for food security for all.
“The most meaningful part of my role is getting to know the faces (of people) as they come every week,” Elizabeth said.
In sports, she leans on tenacity when odds aren’t in her favor.
Despite being an inexperienced runner, she joined the varsity cross-country team as a freshman. She trained hard and qualified for State all three years.
Elizabeth has lettered in cross-country, track, and equestrian sports, and been captain of her varsity equestrian team.
The shared experiences of military families — frequent goodbyes, new schools, and PCS move horror stories — open doors to connection with others in the service.
“If you see your background as an advantage and use your hardships to shape your character, it can change your entire perspective,” she said.
Even with a positive outlook, Elizabeth feels stress during times of instability. She turns to hobbies and activities for grounding.
Poetry, for example, allows her easy and consistent emotional expression. Volunteering provides a purpose, and opportunities to serve are everywhere. Animals — especially horses and dogs — provide support and connection. When the family settled into civilian life in Texas, she began training her dogs and showing them in 4-H competitions, working hard and eventually winning the state junior showmanship class.
Her interest in horses began early in life, and she plans to continue competing in college at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where she has committed to a place on the varsity equestrian team. Elizabeth believes horses, a key coping mechanism, have taught her important lessons through competition, injury, disappointment, and success.
Elizabeth’s love for diplomacy started in ninth grade through Model United Nations, in which she won numerous Best Delegate Awards at the local and state level.
She plans to pursue a degree in political science or international relations with a minor in poverty and human capability studies so she can help underserved communities. Ultimately, she sees herself serving others and solving global problems through a career in politics or public service.
Elizabeth draws inspiration from her mother, who, she said, was a model of grace and resilience as she faced extreme challenges as a military spouse.
“Whether it was raising three children by herself, beating cancer, or moving across the country over and over again, she taught me the lessons and traits of leadership that I hold today.”
Elizabeth will join other Military Child of the Year recipients in Washington, D.C., in April. The seven winners will be honored at a gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. Honorees will each receive $10,000, a laptop computer, and other donated gifts.
Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year program, now in its 18th year, recognizes outstanding teens in each branch of the armed forces for criteria that include their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular involvement while facing the challenges of military family life. This year marks the first time all the recipients are women.
Collectively, the seven 2026 recipients logged 4,849 volunteer hours in the 12 months before nominations. Altogether, they have experienced 35 permanent changes of station and lived through a total of 255 months of a parent being deployed.
Service/Leadership Highlights
- A Hopeful Harvest food pantry, board of directors
- Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Gold Key for short story, Silver Keys for poetry
- Congressional Medal, silver medal
- President’s Volunteer Service Award, gold level
- Daily Point of Light Award, Points of Light Foundation, 550+ hours of community service
