By Bill Bradley, contributing editor
As part of its partnership with the NFL, USAA presented a video in which Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III talked to military teenagers about life on the bases.
It's a life that Griffin knows very well since he grew up living on military bases.
"Even though I never experienced the military life firsthand," Griffin said, "I did experience it secondhand as a military brat."
The kids talked to Griffin about what life is like growing up in a military family. Some said they enjoyed it, but all knew it was a unique experience.
They talked about the constant moving as well as missing their parents.
However, the teens said they know their parents are giving a lot for their country. Griffin remembered his own experience involving his father's sacrifice.
"On my 13th birthday, my dad woke me up and said, 'Son, I'm going to be leaving, going to Iraq now. You've got to take care of your family,'" he said. "It took me a full day to get my full head around that.
"That was the worst birthday I ever had."
He said the reunion with his dad was special.
"Like I've seen in the movies, where Dad's at one end of the hallway, I'm at the other end," he said. "I ran to him, jumped in his arms."
The teens said they have learned to appreciate their parents and respect them.
"You've got to cherish every day," Griffin said. "And if you take that into what you do in academics and sports, you'll be good, too, because you'll get better every day."
