COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — For Taylor Schreiner, being named Military Child of the Year for the U.S. Space Force is both an honor and a responsibility. She is set to be honored with the title in Washington, D.C., this week.
“I’m just very overwhelmed with how grateful I am and how big of an honor this is,” Taylor said. “It’s a big task to be able to represent all military children … I’m just beyond grateful to be able to be appointed to that task.”
Taylor, a high school senior, was selected from among applicants across the country for the national recognition, which highlights leadership, service and resilience among children in military families. Her experience reflects the challenges many military families face, including long separations. Taylor's mother is retired from the Space Force and Air Force, while her father, Brig. Gen. Bob Schreiner, said his assignments often took him away from home for extended periods.
“It really meant I would disappear for one to two years at a time,” Brig. Gen. Schreiner explained. “And it really put a lot on Nicole, of course, and then all three kids.”
Taylor said those experiences shaped her perspective.
“It’s just very essential to take into account that everyone in the family is kind of contributing to serving our country,” she said. “We’ve had to adapt to a new way of doing things… we’re all just such a small part of this larger goal.”
Nicole said the recognition reflects sacrifices made by military families nationwide.
“Every child is part of that sacrifice,” Nicole explained. “To have Taylor be able to represent military children everywhere … we’re just really humbled that she was chosen.”
In addition to her academic achievements, Taylor has built an extensive record of service. At 17, she earned her certified nursing assistant license after completing coursework and hands-on training at a local senior living facility.
“It’s something people don’t really consider a lot, how hard it is just mentally and how underserved that population is,” she said of her work experience. “I wanted to help … I wanted to serve in the way that I could at my age.”
Her father said what stood out most was not just her work, but her compassion.
“She would come home with stories … about helping people, but her focus on the people she was helping,” her father said. “The empathy she was showing to the patients was really special.”
Taylor also volunteered for two years at Children’s Hospital Colorado, supporting siblings of patients.
“I think it’s a nice break for them to be able to just be a kid,” she said. “I’m just happy to help in any way I can.”
Though she logged hundreds of hours, Taylor said the experience wasn’t about numbers.
“It wasn’t really about the hours for me,” she said. “It was more so just about being able to help as I could.”
Those experiences helped solidify her career goals. Taylor plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she will study biology on a pre-med track with the goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.
“I think it’s definitely something that’s overlooked and it’s such a hard career, but I think that’s what makes it so rewarding,” she said.
Balancing school, sports and service has required discipline, but Taylor said her commitments are driven by passion.
“These are all things I enjoy,” she said. “It never feels like a chore … I kind of like triaging my tasks, thinking of what’s most important to me.”
Her parents say that mindset reflects years of growing up in a military household.
“Often there’s been one parent in the household and you have to jump in and help,” Taylor's mother stated. “I think from that standpoint, maybe Taylor’s matured a little bit quicker than some of her peers.”
Taylor is not the first in her family to receive the honor. Her older sister Hayley was named Military Child of the Year for the Space Force in 2023.
“We were just so beyond thrilled,” her mother said. “It’s such a neat opportunity … we’re so grateful.”
As Taylor prepares to travel to Washington, D.C., for the recognition ceremony, she said her upbringing in Colorado Springs — a community with a strong military presence — has played a key role in her journey.
“It’s not something you have to do alone,” she said. “I’m just beyond grateful for Colorado Springs … it’s really helped me feel less alone.”
Despite the challenges of military life, Taylor said she takes pride in her family’s service.
“I am beyond grateful to be raised in a military family,” she said. “It’s something that I’m very proud of.”
Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year program, now in its 18th year, recognizes outstanding teens in each branch of the armed forces for criteria that include their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular involvement while facing the challenges of military family life. This year marks the first time all the recipients are women.
Collectively, the seven 2026 recipients logged 4,849 volunteer hours in the 12 months before nominations. Altogether, they have experienced 35 permanent changes of station and lived through a total of 255 months of a parent being deployed.
Taylor's Service/Leadership Highlights
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