S.A. teen named Military Child of the Year
A Northside Independent School District student’s standout academic performance, community involvement and peer leadership has earned her the title of Military Child of the Year.
As part of its annual award program, the national nonprofit Operation Homefront has recognized seven military children representing different branches of the armed forces who have made a positive impact on their families, schools and communities. The organization helps military families with shortterm difficulties, financial assistance and other support.
Brennan High School junior Noelani Martinez has been chosen for the Air Force award for her service and leadership accolades.
She and the six other recipients — who represent the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard and Space Force — will receive $10,000, a laptop computer and other donated gifts.
They will also be flown to Operation Homefront’s April 11 gala in Arlington, Va., where senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards.
“While each of our seven awardees’ stories are as compelling as they are unique, they share several common attributes that help put their experiences, and those of the millions of other military kids that serve all of us along with their parents, into perspective: resiliency, strength and service,” said Brig. Gen. (Ret.) John I. Pray Jr., CEO of Operation Homefront, in a statement.
Noelani, 16, is a drummer in the San Antonio School of Rock house band and in Brennan’s JROTC program, according to a profile posted on Operation Homefront’s website.
Her grades put her in the top 2% of her class.
Her father, Col. Melchizedek “Kato” Martinez, is a Purple Heart recipient who served for 29 years before retiring in July 2021.
Her mother Gail died in the 2016 Brussels airport bombings, a terrorist attack that also left Noelani, then 9, her father and her three siblings seriously injured.
“She continues to bear both the physical and emotional scars of that tragic day, but rather than allow it to defeat her, she uses the pain to fight on and honor her mother’s love,” her father told Operation Homefront.
He said Noelani became his and her younger sister’s caretaker after her older siblings began their careers.
Noelani has lived on six different military stations and told Operation Homefront that it was “amazing to be able to make friends from various places in the world and share our experiences.”
But it’s also important that military kids like herself “give themselves grace,” she said, because of the unique challenges they have to overcome.
The rock and roll drummer dreams of one day composing music for movies, video games and musicals.
After high school graduation, Noelani says she plans to pursue her music education at either the Berklee Conservatory of Music in Boston or the SJA Music Institute in South Korea.
“I’ve always wanted to evoke specific emotions through music and show how magical it can be,” she said.
More than 700 military children from across the country were nominated for the Military Child of the Year award, which is sponsored by RTX. Winners were selected by a panel of volunteer judges who support the military community.
This isn’t the first time the Air Force award has gone to a student from Military City USA.
Last year, San Antonio teen Louis Geer was recognized by the nonprofit for his academic achievements and volunteer work.