💥 Military Children Support Is Not a Side Mission. It Is the Mission.

By Tiffany Orner | Veteran. Advocate. Board Member, Operation Child Care Project + Special Operators Transition Foundation

📍IGY6Company.com/blog | #UntilEVERYVeteranWantsForNothing 🇺🇸💜

When we say military children serve, too, this is what we mean. Draped in duty before they even understand its weight. They watch. They follow. They lead. Support starts at home. Let’s show up for them. 🇺🇸💜

April is the Month of the Military Child, but this post isn’t a celebration. It’s a clarion call.

Because military children are carrying the weight of service before they’re even old enough to vote, they’re not “just resilient.” They’re essential. They are the future of our national defense, and the way we treat them today directly affects the strength of tomorrow’s force.

Let’s get something straight:

🧒🏽 1.6 million military-connected children live this life daily

📦 They move every 2–3 years

💡 They attend up to 9 schools by graduation

(Source: DoD, Military Child Education Coalition)

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🎙️ Commanders Said It Best: Family Readiness = Mission Readiness

At One Okaloosa EDC’s March 25th roundtable, Brig. Gen. Massaro (Eglin AFB) and Col. Dierig (Hurlburt Field) laid it bare. Readiness doesn’t start in the skies—it starts in our child development centers, our school systems, and our living rooms.

🔥 Their concerns?

• Not enough childcare workers

• Too few homes for junior enlisted & officers

• Outdated buildings slowing progress

• Traffic that could cause a national security failure

• A shrinking pipeline of skilled tradespeople

These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re here. They’re ours. And that’s why I’m writing.

When command meets community, solutions are born. 🎙️ Neko Stubblefield of Eglin Federal Credit Union leads a powerful discussion with Brig. Gen. Mark Massaro and Col. Patrick Dierig on what it takes to keep our bases ready and our families supported. This is what collaboration beyond the gate looks like. 🇺🇸🫱🏾‍🫲🏼

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💜 Enter: Operation Child Care Project + HomeFront Help

I’m proud to serve on the Board of Operation Child Care Project (OCCP), founded by one of the fiercest advocates in this space, Kayla Corbitt. When Kayla says she’s listening to families, she means it. And she built a real solution to match the real weight our military families carry.

🏡 What Is HomeFront Help?

✅ A caregiver network of safe, vetted professionals ✅ A 24/7 helpline for emergency care within 24 hours

✅ Training + certification for military spouses and locals to become trusted Helpers

✅ Fee assistance for families who can't afford child care

✅ Support for special needs, infants, off-hours, and rural living

📍Launched in Eglin/Hurlburt, this pilot program directly answers the concerns voiced by Gen. Massaro and Col. Dierig.

“Military families told us they needed a reliable network of trusted caregivers, and HomeFront Help is our answer to that call.”— Kayla Corbitt 👑, Founder & CEO, OCCP

And y’all... let’s talk about those T-shirts. Grab yours from the OCCP donation page, wear your support literally on your sleeve, and get weird about it. It's for the military churrin'. 😂💜👕

From left to right: Craig Orner, Maria Quinn, Tiffany Orner, Zack Knight, and the incomparable Kayla Corbitt. All smiles, but all business when it comes to military families. This is what impact looks like. These are the faces of advocacy, innovation, and unshakable purpose. We're in this together, whether it’s transition, child care, or connection. 💪🏽💜🇺🇸 #UntilEVERYVeteranWantsForNothing

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🧰 The Workforce Crisis: It’s Closer Than You Think

Now, let me hit you with this one:

🔧 The average tradesperson in Okaloosa County is nearly 60 years old.

Think that’s sustainable? It’s not.

We need electricians. Plumbers. HVAC techs. Welders. And guess what? Our military children—and civilian children—can fill that pipeline if we create it now. That’s how we fight the workforce crisis and the readiness crisis at the same time.

The military already anticipates record-low recruitment rates, and data shows only 23% of American youth are eligible to serve. We need to cultivate these future defenders today—by supporting them where they are: in our schools, our CDCs, our homes.

This is the moment everything changes. With one raised hand, a new journey begins—and a legacy continues. ✋🏽🇺🇸 Surrounded by family, witnessed by community, and backed by generations of service, these future Airmen are stepping into something greater than themselves. This is why we show up. This is why we invest in our youth. Because they are our readiness plan. #USAirForce | #FutureForce | #MilitaryChildrenSupport | #IGY6Company

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🙋🏽‍♀️ My Why

I’m Tiffany Orner. I’m a veteran, a military spouse, a mom, and a relentless connector for this community. One of my sons is proudly serving in the Air Force ROTC, on track to become a pilot in the United States Air Force—continuing our family’s legacy of service.

This mission isn’t a job. It’s personal. It’s generational.

I serve on the boards of:

• Operation Child Care Project (OCCP), delivering direct solutions to families across the Emerald Coast

• Special Operators Transition Foundation (SOTF), supporting elite warriors as they shift into civilian leadership roles

Through IGY6 Company, I’m building bridges between service and community, family and infrastructure, need and action.

I’m not here for handshakes. I’m here for handoffs—to the next generation who deserve to thrive, not survive.

From saluting the flag to sitting at the table, the mission has always been the same: serve, protect, connect. 🇺🇸 Each photo in this collage tells a chapter of the story. 👩🏽‍✈️ The young Airman with fire in her chest. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 The advocate collaborating with commanders. 💼 The leader speaking truth to policy. 📣 The woman still showing up for the next generation. This is what full-circle service looks like. This is Tiffany Orner.  #VeteranVoice | #ServantLeader | #IGY6Company | #MilitaryChildrenSupport

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🛠️ How You Can Take Action on Military Children Support:

💥 Support Operation Child Care Project. Buy a shirt. Share the mission. Donate. Volunteer. Do it here.

💥 Refer military families to HomeFront Help. They can get safe, emergency care and real support.📲 Text “HELP” to (850) 203-3787 or visit OCCProject.org/HomeFrontHelp

💥 Invest in trade education. Partner with schools to create real vocational pipelines tied to base needs.

💥 Get political. Support infrastructure improvements like the Highway 85/98 widening. Readiness depends on it.

💥 See them. Really see them. Be the neighbor that shows up. Not just for the uniformed member, but for the whole family.

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🙌🏾 Gratitude Where It’s Due

To Kay Rasmussen—thank you for being a relentless champion for the force behind the force. You have always recognized the full scope of military service, including the family. 🫡

To Neko Stubblefield and Eglin Federal Credit Union—your sponsorship of this roundtable shows how financial institutions can lead in people-centered readiness. 👑

To Kayla Corbitt—you have lit a fire that no leadership shift can put out. Your work is generational. Your advocacy is unapologetic. And you show up even when it’s hard. We see you. We love you. We’re with you. 💜

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We’ve Raised Our Right Hands 🇺🇸

We are ready. Willing. Able. We’re not waiting to be asked. This is our community. These are our children. And we will not stop until every veteran, every military kid, every family has what they need to thrive.

📣 I’m just getting started.

#FallIn | #MilitaryChildrenSupport | #IGY6Company#UntilEVERYVeteranWantsForNothing 🇺🇸

No words. Just chalk. Just a small hand shaping something bigger. ❤️🤍💙 This is how it starts. Before the uniform. Before the oaths. With sidewalk chalk, scraped knees, and hearts that already beat red, white, and blue. Patriotism isn’t taught—it’s caught. #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild | #FutureForce | #PatriotInProgress | #IGY6Company