Service Life Built Strength in 2026 Military Child of the Year for the Coast Guard
With two parents serving in the Coast Guard, Victoria “Tori” Vanacore learned early that, ready or not, change happens. She also learned to adapt. Her resilience and determination earned her the title of Operation Homefront’s 2026 Military Child of the Year® for the Coast Guard.
Tori, 17, is a senior at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Coast Guard veterans Jaime and Paul Vanacore. Her 19-year-old brother, Dominic, continues the family’s Coast Guard service.
Jaime served 20 years and retired in 2022. Paul retired in 2019 after 21 years.
“Their service … taught me to be independent, strong, and adaptable, and it gave me a life full of memories, new places, and people I never would’ve met,” Tori said.
She sees herself serving our country, too. An aspiring fighter jet pilot, she has her sights on attending Duke University or the Air Force Academy as she works toward a career in national security or intelligence.
During her family’s four PCS moves and her parents’ combined total of 60 months of deployments, Tori turned to sports as a constant in her ever-changing world.
“Growing up as a military child, I learned early that life doesn’t wait for you to feel ready,” she said. “You get thrown into new places, new schools, new routines, and you have to figure things out even when you’re scared or unsure.”
Joining teams provided a sense of purpose, making transitions easier, she said. During high school — and while maintaining top grades — Tori has participated in basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, tennis, and wrestling.
“Having a team behind you reminds you that you’re not going through this life alone,” she said.
Through frequent moves, Tori learned about making friends quickly and building connections that last.
“Some of the closest friendships I have today came from those moves, and they taught me that home can be created wherever you land if you’re willing to open up and let people in,” she said.
Exposure to different cultures and lifestyles broadened her mindset.
“Instead of being overwhelmed by change, I learned to be curious and openminded,” she said. “That’s what made me comfortable in almost any environment, whether it’s a new classroom, a new team, or a completely new community.”
Tori, like many military children, faced fear and uncertainty over her parents’ service.
On days she didn’t find an email from her dad while he was away, she remembered his oath about giving his life to save another.
“I didn’t understand the reason, but I knew my dad was promising to risk everything, and that terrified me,” she said.
Because of her parents’ demanding careers, Tori learned responsibility early. She and her brother got ready for school on their own and planned to get to extracurricular activities after school.
Today, she sees how the military family lifestyle shaped her.
“The uncertainty taught me resilience. The constant change taught me adaptability. The responsibility I carried early on taught me perseverance,” she said.
That perseverance pushed her to success last summer at the North Carolina FBI Youth Leadership Academy.
Tori surprised leaders — and herself — on the Police Officer Physical Abilities Test. Finishing with the second-best time in the class, she beat even instructors’ personal bests. The accomplishment earned her the Iron Woman Award at graduation, given to one female cadet each year.
“That moment meant more to me than some would think,” she said. “As a military child, I’ve always had to be resilient, independent, and adaptable, but this was the first time I truly saw what all that strength added up to. … That feeling, knowing my hard work paid off, is something I’ll carry with me forever.”
Tori is proud of her parents’ military service.
“I know how much they gave, how hard they worked, and how much responsibility they carried,” she said. “For me, having a parent who serves is a mix of pride, appreciation, and understanding. It’s not perfect, but it’s made me who I am, and I wouldn’t trade that.”
Tori will join other Military Child of the Year recipients in Washington, D.C., in April. The seven will be honored at a gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. Honorees also will receive $10,000 each, 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 combined total of 255 months of a parent being deployed.
Service/Leadership Highlights
- North Carolina all-conference soccer player, four years
- Iron Woman Award, North Carolina FBI Youth Leadership Academy
- Dual college enrollment, three years
- District Attorney’s Office, internship
- Best Day Foundation, volunteer
