Military families were honored on Wednesday at Joe Nightingale Elementary in Orcutt.
The event, part of the Month of the Military Child, celebrated the 230 military-connected students in the Orcutt Union School District.
"There's a lot of veterans that work [here] and have kids in the Orcutt and Santa Maria school district community," Cody Smith, a member of the Nevada Army National Guard, said. "It's a really strong community for the active duty, the part-timers, and those that have served in the past as veterans."
Smith's children, Tyce and Korra, watched as their father spoke to a class of kids at the event.
“I think it's a bit hard being in the military, going through a whole bunch of sacrifices with family and stuff, but it might be worth it in the end. Protecting people and making them save their lives, it feels good to be recognized, and my dad getting recognized for the work he's done," said Tyce.
“I remember when I was little, he used to go away for, like, a few months, and we were always, like, so happy to bring him up to get him home. And that's why we moved here, and now I'm really proud," said Korra.
Katie Smith— the mother of Korra and Tyce— told KSBY that Cody's service in the National Guard has been worthwhile.
"It was hard for them not to see their dad around as much, but they've learned to appreciate that time they have with him, and also to appreciate what he's done," she said.
Orcutt Union School District's elementary schools were recently awarded a Purple Star designation because of the systems in place to support its local military families.
"The challenges that come with being a military kid, moving around and moving from school to school, and so our partnership with the Orcutt school district and their efforts to identify themselves as Purple Star schools was a great opportunity for us to just come show and participate in this recognition today,” said Colonel Mark A. Shoemaker with Vandenberg Space Force Base.
“It’s important to honor the sacrifice and all the different struggles our kids do and also understand all the different benefits they receive as a military child,” said another person from Vandenberg. “When you move from place to place, you learn to make friends a lot faster and become more extroverted and those skills can lead to a lot more success in life.”
