Taylor Schreiner was recently selected as the 2026 Military Child of the Year for the Space Force. (Operation Homefront via KOAA NEWS5 Southern Colorado)
(Tribune News Service) — Children of active-duty service members lead an existence that only other military kids can fully understand – lives uprooted, friends left behind, constantly starting over as the “new kid” at school, and missing a mother or father for birthdays, graduations, and other formative milestones.
It’s a lifestyle that Taylor Schreiner knows all too well. She was recently selected as the 2026 Military Child of the Year for the Space Force.
“My dad has been in the military my whole life,” said Schreiner, whose father, Robert, is a brigadier general in the Space Force. “So this has been my ‘normal.’”
The honor was bestowed by the Colorado Springs-based nonprofit Operation Homefront, which recognizes seven young standouts each year, from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and National Guard.
Robert, who currently serves as Commander, U.S. Space Forces Northern, has made two deployments and 13 permanent change-of-station (PCS) moves during his 28-year career. Ten of those moves have come during Taylor’s lifetime.
“We’ve done Christmases and birthdays via FaceTime,” said Taylor, a senior at Discovery Canyon High School. “It’s challenging, but my parents are so loving and supportive. We make it work.”
Schreiner and the six other Military Child of the Year honorees were selected from a pool of more than 1,000 nominees who have demonstrated “excellence in character, community service and leadership,” according to a news release. They will be feted at a gala in Arlington, Va.
Each teen will receive a $10,000 grant, a laptop computer and other donated prizes, according to Operation Homefront officials. Additionally, 35 program finalists received a $1,000 cash award.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the other military children, and sharing stories about our experiences and how we’ve grown from them,” Schreiner said. “I’m beyond excited.”
The middle of Robert and Nicole Schreiner’s three children, Taylor is the second MCOY honoree in the family; her sister, Hayley, was the Military Child of the Year for 2023.
“It’s a big honor for our family,” Schreiner said.
A desire to help others, instilled by her parents, has guided Schreiner toward the healthcare profession, she said.
“We were taught from an early age that you should help those in need,” she said.
Schreiner has done volunteer work at Children’s Hospital Colorado, interned at an elder care facility, served as president of Health Occupations Students of America, and earned her Certified Nursing Assistant license at age 17.
“I was able to watch staff members while they supported the patients and made them feel comfortable,” said Schreiner, who hopes to become a pediatric oncologist. “I realized that I wanted to be able to do that.”
In the fall, Schreiner will attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
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