Whether you're a teacher, counselor, friend, neighbor, clergy member, military leader, Scout leader, parent, sibling -- or anyone else who knows an awesome military kid -- now is the time to nominate your candidate for Operation Homefront's Military Child of the Year awards.

Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 5 at www.militarychildoftheyear.org. 

Six children between the ages of 8 to 18 will be chosen, representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard. These awards are based on their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement and other criteria while facing the challenges of military life.

Each of the six children will receive $10,000, a laptop and other donated gifts, and will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., for an April 6 gala.

In addition, a seventh child will receive the Military Child of the Year Award for Innovation, with a $5,000 cash award, and mentorship by Booz Allen Hamilton employees to scale or advance the winner's project. That child also will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington for the gala. 

This will be the competition's ninth year. Last year, Operation Homefront received 502 nominations, and the winners ranged in age from 9 to 18, and included two Eagle Scouts, three athletes and two musicians. 

"I encourage all to consider nominating a deserving military child and join Operation Homefront in our annual celebration of resilience, achievement and strength of character," said John Pray Jr., a retired Air Force brigadier general who is president and CEO of Operation Homefront.

Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.

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