KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. -- The Department of Defense has designated April as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community. To celebrate this year, the 173rd Fighter Wing Military and Family Readiness Center has created a ‘Nose Art’ contest.
“This contest is open to all of Oregon military children 17 years old and under,” said Cecily Gaudinski, 173rd FW Military and Family Readiness Center coordinator. “We are excited to open this up to all of our military dependents, regardless of branch of service.”
Using the provided design template, children are asked to pick a theme for their design and create an image they would want to see displayed on the nose of a Kingsley Field F-15 Eagle.
“Some examples of themes could be freedom, patriotism, or whatever comes to mind when you think about what it means to be a military child,” said Gaudinski.
For inspiration, there are phrases and questions on back of the design page that children can reference.
The young artist will need to keep in mind a few rules when creating their designs. All nose art must:
- Be distinctive, symbolic, and designed in good taste
- Enhance unit pride
- Must not use copyrighted material
All designs must be submitted to the Military and Family Readiness Center by April 30 through their email at 173resiliencyteam@gmail.com.
The winning design will be selected by a committee and announced the following month. That image will then be displayed on the nose of one of the Kingsley F-15 Eagles.
Additionally, there is a coloring contest featuring an F-15 flying over Crater Lake. These pages will be displayed in the headquarters building to applaud the young artists.
“We are so excited to highlight our military children in this fun and unique way,” added Gaudinski.
This is the second time the 173rd FW has hosted a nose art contest for Month of the Military Child.
According to the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome. The Month of the Military Child is part of the legacy left by former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. He established the Defense Department commemoration in 1986.
For any questions, you can contact the Military and Family Readiness center at (541) 885-6112.