Dylan & Gianna, U.S. Air National Guard Courageous Kids Contest Winners
April 10, 2026
Gianna and Dylan, Air National Guard Courageous Kids Contest Winners
Siblings from South Carolina Serve Family and Community While Father Is Deployed
For two South Carolinian kids, 2025 was a year of separation and growth. Halfway through the school year, Gianna and Dylan’s father deployed to the Middle East for eight months. The siblings responded with determination and service, working hard at school, engaging in extra curriculars, and serving their families and communities.
Over their dad’s deployment with the Air National Guard, Dylan and Gianna impressed the adults around them with their maturity and positivity during a difficult time.
“Dylan and Gianna demonstrated remarkable courage, strength and resilience through their consistency, attitude, and commitment to their personal growth,” Paige, their coach and one of their nominators said. Learn a little more about each one of these Courageous Kids:
Nine-year-old Gianna is a dedicated Girl Scout, leading activities, participating in service projects, and earning recognitions, including her Junior Aide pin.
“Even on days when she was missing her father, she chose to channel her feelings into productive and meaningful activities,” Crystal, her troop leader and one of her nominators, said.
In addition to being a Scout, Gianna is a musician, playing piano and steel drums and participating in the school musical as one of the leads. She is also a straight-A student and secretary of the Kiwanis Kids Club.
“Being a military kid means to stay strong even when things get hard and you miss the people who are far away from you.” - Gianna
Despite her busy schedule, Gianna prioritized her family, assisting her mother with household responsibilities. During the summer, she spent time helping her grandmother babysit her three young cousins. “Knowing that she uses her dad as an example to lead others, get involved in her own community, stay positive, earn all A's, and help her family at home makes her an excellent nominee for this award,” said Jennifer, her teacher and one of her nominators.
In the immediate future, Gianna is working on her Girl Scouts Bronze Award project. As for her long-term plans? “When I grow up, I would like to be an anesthesiologist because I like helping people,” Gianna said.
As a well-rounded student, Dylan is an actor who has performed in school plays, the captain of an extracurricular steel drum band, and a Scout. He takes karate and piano lessons as well and continued to maintain a strong sibling bond with Gianna throughout the deployment.
“Along with maintaining straight A's, the thing that was most striking to me and showed his true character was his relationship with his sister,” his guidance counselor and one of his nominators, Scott, said.
In his father’s absence, Dylan became the caretaker of the family’s flock of chickens. He spent hours maintaining the coop, feeding the chickens, and gathering eggs. In addition, the 12-year-old took on extra outdoor responsibilities, like weeding, cutting the grass, and caring for the garden. Dylan’s grandfather and nominator, Victor, noted that Dylan did not complain or feel sorry for himself.
"All I regularly heard him say to his mom was, ‘What can I help you with?’” Victor said.
“Being a military kid makes you stronger. When your loved one comes back, it’s the best feeling in the world!” - Dylan
Dylan sees himself as an engineer one day. “…I like building things and being creative,” he said about his career choice.
During their father's Air National Guard deployment, Gianna and Dylan each received Our Military Kids activity awards to fund martial arts lessons. Learn more about the Our Military Kids activity award program at: https://www.ourmilitarykids.org
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