Calling All Military Brats: Worldwide Search Seeks Americans Who Grew Up Overseas

135 registrants already represent 125 bases, schools and communities worldwide; gathering set for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Irving, Texas

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Where do you call home when you grew up in Japan, Germany, England, Taiwan or on a U.S. military base halfway around the world?

For generations of American military children, the answer is not always simple.

Now OVERSEAS BRATS is trying to find them.

The organization is inviting former military dependents and Americans who attended schools overseas to reconnect at its WorldWide Gathering, Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at the DFW Airport Marriott in Irving, Texas.

125 Communities. One Shared Experience.

As of Aug. 6:

• 624 Brats had expressed interest or said they were planning to attend.
• 135 were registered.
• Registrants represented 125 military communities, bases and schools.

Registrants have connections to military communities and schools in Japan, England, Puerto Rico, Germany, Taiwan, Greece, France, Iran, the Netherlands and beyond.

A Hometown That Could Be Half a World Away

For Military Brats, "Where are you from?" can be a complicated question.

Many grew up moving from assignment to assignment, attending different schools and living in different countries. Yet those experiences created a culture of their own - and often an immediate connection among people who shared them.

"We learned to adapt, make friends quickly and say goodbye often," said Joe Condrill, president of OVERSEAS BRATS. "We may have grown up in different countries, attended different schools and lived there in different decades, but we recognize the same childhood in one another. This gathering gives us a chance to reconnect with people who understand what 'home' meant to us."

40 Years of Bringing Brats Together

OVERSEAS BRATS marks its 40th anniversary in 2026.

The organization began in 1986 and helped publicize a Department of Defense Dependents Schools anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. Conversations among Brats attending that event helped spark what became a tradition of gatherings around the United States. Its first gathering followed in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1987.

Help Find a Brat

Organizers are asking military families, veterans, overseas-school alumni and former military dependents to help spread the word.

Were you a Military Brat? Know someone who was?

Visit OverseasBrats1986.com, click on the WorldWide Gathering and see Who's Attending.

About OVERSEAS BRATS

Established in 1986, OVERSEAS BRATS connects Americans who grew up overseas as military dependents, students and members of American overseas communities through gatherings, publications and online communications.

Media Contact

Joe Condrill
OVERSEAS BRATS
[email protected]
OverseasBrats1986.com

SOURCE Visit Irving