Military Kids: War Fears Hit Home

Children With Parents In The Military Face Afdditional Anxiety

(CBS)  It's not be easy to talk about war with children, but its especilaly hard when it's the child's parent who will be doing the fighting.

CBS News Correspondent Tracy Smith reports that the military offspring she talked to are fearful but also proud that their parents are soldiers.

For families at Fort Benning Army Base, something a simple as the donning of desert fatigues has great import - it probably mean mom or dad will be leaving soon for the Mideast.

At Wilson Elementary School, half of the students have already said goodbye to a parent. So the schools set up ways to keep in touch.

Kindergartener Juan Rivera recorded a message for his dad, who is thousands of miles away. Big brother Steven made a pillow with a picture of his father, so that he can feel closer to him at night.

"These seem like small things, but they're really not, in the life of a child," says Superintendent Dell Mcmullen. "We feel as though we are doing something to help the cause, just like the military is."

Military offspring are used to turmoil. The average military family moves once every three years and children get pretty accustomed to dad or mom being away from home. But even elementary school children know that this time it is different.

"I sometimes cry and I watch TV, but then I think he's coming home. I know it," says one child named Vincent. "He's coming home soon. But then I say, 'God, please take care of my father.'"

To help the kids talk through these feelings, each school on the base has a full-time counselor.

"I just talk to them and let them share a little bit and I say, 'You know what? This scares me too. We don't want daddy to die. And I can't make you any promises, but one thing we need to do is just believe that daddy's gonna be OK,'" says counselor Evelyn Montgomery.

Janet Rivera, Juan and Steven's mother, says the stress of life as a single parent is hard to bear. Janet also says she is grateful to the school for extra attention her kids get.

"It helps them to open up to their feelings because sometimes at home, they don't tell you really what's going on," says Janet. "Maybe they could open up with a stranger and show what they feel and say what they feel."

For the children, it's a chance to show dad that you can still be proud, even if you are a little scared, too.

Most of the children, Smith says, told her they wouldn't want their dads or moms to be anything other than soldiers.