Although Homecoming '99 is still more than a year away, the Overseas Brats association is urging former Department of Defense Dependents Schools students to make plans now.
The homecoming will be held Aug. 5-8, 1999, in Grapevine, Texas, near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Brats President Joe Condrill said 49 alumni groups to date have indicated they'll hold reunions at the homecoming. Individual students from more than 60 different overseas elementary, junior and senior high schools and colleges have said they're interested in attending, he added.
Early registration fees and times haven't been determined, but Condrill said the group already lined up reduced rates at the Airport Hyatt Regency, the host hotel for the homecoming. Rooms will cost $78 single or double occupancy per night; suites will range from $137 to $600 per night. Free ground transportation will be provided between the hotel and arrival and departure gates. The hotel also offers free guest parking.
Persons attending the reunion will be assigned a hospitality room based on where they went to school overseas. "This could be the city the school was located in, the country, or the region of the world," Condrill said. "Many of us went to more than one school, so if you have a particular area you'd like to be included in, let me know when you register for the event."
A portion of the proceeds from Homecoming '99 will be donated to the Overseas Schools Historical Society. The society plans to develop a museum, archives and historical park in the United States to celebrate the brats' heritage.
For more information about Overseas Brats and Homecoming '99, e- mail Condrill at OSBPRES@aol.com, fax him at (210) 349-1394, or write him at:
Overseas Brats
P.O. Box 29805
San Antonio, TX 78229-0805
More information for and about students and former students from military families can be found on the Internet. Sites include the Military Brats Registry at www.military-brats.com and Military Brats Online at www.lynxu.com/brats.
Story by Douglas J. Gillert, American Forces Press Service