Updated : April 24, 2026 By Robert Reid
Updated : April 24, 2026 By Robert Reid
Forces Children Scotland 2 days ago
Robert Reid recently joined Forces Children Scotland as a Policy and Campaigns Officer and is working to champion the rights of children and young people from Armed Forces families. As a Forces child himself, he reflects here on his own upbringing and how it connects to the children and young people we support.
April is, of course, the Month of the Military Child, but it is also my first full month working as the new Policy and Campaigns Officer at Forces Children Scotland. A number of people have asked what drew me to the position. The first and most obvious reason is that I grew up as a Forces child.
I was raised in a military family from birth. Along with my mother and older sister, I accompanied my father during his decades of service, both as a soldier and as an officer. We moved across England and Germany before eventually settling in my parents’ hometown of Perth.
Robert, age 5, with his father in Germany
Robert’s father, Robert Reid, and his sister meeting the Queen Mother at Balmoral Castle
Throughout that time, my father deployed on operations many times to places such as Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan in an infantry combat role. Despite being young, I was acutely aware of what deployment meant and the risks that came with it. At times of global instability like we are experiencing now, it is important to recognise the stress and uncertainty these events bring to Forces children and young people.
When we settled in Perth, my dad continued to be stationed around the country. This led to what is known as ‘weekending’, when a parent in the Armed Forces is posted away from their family during the week and only returns home on weekends. My mum worked part-time for most of this period, which meant that there was always someone at home after school. Looking back, this provided me with a steady and secure home environment, which is why I don’t reflect on the experience of weekending as having had a detrimental impact on me personally. However, that is not the case for many others.
For some children, the repeated cycle of separation and reunion can be emotionally challenging, particularly when combined with other aspects of service life. In our recently published education report, Camouflaged in the education system, children and young people describe how periods of separation can have a direct and lasting impact on their learning and wellbeing at school.
Experiences also vary within families. My own experience as a Forces child was very different from that of my older sister, who moved houses, schools and countries far more often than I did. While most of my education was rooted in one place, she had to navigate different education systems and curricula multiple times. Each move required adjustment, not just academically but socially and emotionally as well. This kind of repeated upheaval can disrupt learning, undermine confidence, and affect aspirations and attainment.
Despite my unique experiences, I never strongly identified with or considered myself a Forces child. I simply thought my life was normal. Moving schools, making new friends, and experiencing deployment and separation were all part of everyday life.
My short time working at Forces Children Scotland has already helped me to understand how distinctive those experiences were. But when we talk about Forces children, it is important to remember that experiences differ greatly, and many may not identify with that label at all.
It is an exciting time to join Forces Children Scotland, and I am looking forward to bringing some of my lived experience to this role. When considering the role, I was drawn to the organisation’s work in recent years to champion and amplify the rights of children and young people from Forces families through the co-produced Forces Children’s Rights Charter.
Robert aged 19 with his father in Parliament
This sits alongside vital participation work across the country to ensure young people’s voices are heard, as well as the work of the Ruby Boots team supporting children and young people through the transition to civilian life.
All of this work matters because Forces children’s voices are too often overlooked. They are frequently described as resilient, yet many feel misunderstood, stereotyped, and let down by the systems meant to support them. There are also Forces children like my younger self, who may not be struggling but whose lives are shaped by the realities of Forces life and who have unique perspectives to share.
So, as we mark the Month of the Military Child, we should recognise the many different experiences woven into the Forces children tartan and ensure they are all seen, heard and valued.
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