Month of the Military Child
Military-connected children share the mic on AFN Aviano
Stars and Stripes
April 9, 2025
Military-connected kids Zoey and Joey visit with an AFN radio host during Month of the Military Child. (Shelbie Goulding-Morin)
Stars and Stripes Europe is celebrating Month of the Military Child at Aviano Air Base, Italy, with a new, exciting partnership with AFN Aviano.
Throughout the month of April, Stars and Stripes Europe’s marketing assistant, Shelbie Goulding-Morin, shares her weekly interview slot with Aviano’s military-connected children and their families. Kids go live on air to share their stories by answering questions from Stars and Stripes Europe’s MoMC Toolkits.
“I miss having the opportunity to showcase the news industry to our next generation of journalists,” said Goulding-Morin, a former South Carolina news editor. “So, naturally, I found a way to bring that experience to our military families here in Italy with Stars and Stripes Europe and AFN Aviano.”
This experience will allow military-connected children to share their unique stories in an expanded capacity while also providing them the opportunity to learn about a future career in the news industry through a local Defense Media Activity agency.
Prior to going live on air, AFN Aviano hosts the kids and allows them to explore the studios, learning about both TV and radio broadcasting, testing out the equipment, creating commercials and broadcasts and so much more.
Military-connected kids Zoey and Joey visit with AFN radio host SrA Brooke A. Sorensen during Month of the Military Child. (Shelbie Goulding-Morin)
“Getting to partner with Stars and Stripes to celebrate Month of the Military child has been an amazing opportunity,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Brooke A. Sorensen, broadcaster and producer of AFN Aviano. “Getting military kids into the studio and letting them get hands on experience not only creates lasting memories but helps connects AFN to our families who support us every day.”
One mother said this experience was not only fun but educational for her children who participated in the first session on April 2.
“Stars and Stripes and AFN (Aviano) truly created something so special for our military kiddos with this Month of the Military Child collaboration,” said Vanessa Slagle, mother of Zoey and Joey. “The experience was unforgettable and what my daughter Zoey said was a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’. They were able to learn about an exciting and technical profession, and the kiddos felt special, valued and appreciated as military children during their tour through AFN and during their interview.”
We have military families set to go live on air with Stars and Stripes Europe in Aviano every Wednesday at 4 p.m. Tune in live on the AFN Go App or, if in the area, on 106 FM.
Military-connected kids Zoey and Joey visit with AFN radio host SrA Brooke A. Sorensen during Month of the Military Child. (Shelbie Goulding-Morin)