Nominated twice before, Benjamin Rawald from Del Rio, Texas, was named the 2019 Air Force Military Child of the Year Award.
Benjamin, a 17-year-old junior, has dedicated years of effort with the Boy Scouts of America, which has brought him to the attention of the community and the nation.
April, the month of the military child, takes time to recognize the accomplishments and support of children whose parents are in the military.
“When I was a Cub Scout, I wanted to get all the awards and badges,” said Benjamin. “I always had a goal in mind, and that made it easier to keep going.”
According to the Military Child of the Year website, Benjamin’s favorite way to serve is as a member of Boy Scout Troop 280 and founding member of Venture Crew 280. As an Eagle Scout, Ben has been awarded all 23 Eagle Scout Palms, all 138 merit badges, BSA Bronze and Silver STEM Supernova Awards, and 42 officially recognized BSA awards.
Benjamin’s other volunteer activities include cleanups at several military, American Indian, historic and civic cemeteries; running multiple Keep America Beautiful cleanups at San Felipe Creek; collecting and shipping nearly 8,000 batteries to military families affected by Hurricane Michael; honorably retiring thousands of American flags; and serving as an assistant coach for the Val Verde County 4H Shooting Sports.
“One of the things I see, is the older people get, the less they do, but in Boy Scouts, we develop a lot more driving force because we always have a goal in mind.” Benjamin said.
Benjamin plans to go to the University of Florida where he intends on majoring in both computer and electrical engineering.
Reflecting on being awarded Military Child of the Year, Benjamin said he’s proud to be the recipient of the award and he hopes to be a role model for all Air Force kids.