Operation Homefront today announced the five recipients of the 2013 Military Child of the Year® Award. The national non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to military families annually gives the award to an outstanding military child from each branch of service - Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

From a pool of more than 1,000 nominees, each award recipient was chosen by a committee including active duty military personnel, Family Readiness Support Assistants, teachers, military mothers, and community members. The five awardees will receive $5,000 each and will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C. for a special recognition gala on April 11, 2013. The awards will be presented by senior leaders of each branch of service and an invitation to present the keynote address has been made to Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins, himself a military child.

"The sons and daughters of America's service members learn what patriotism is at a very young age," said Jim Knotts, President & CEO of Operation Homefront. "Children in military families demonstrate leadership within their families and within their communities. This is what the Military Child of the Year® Award honors."

This year's recipients are:

ARMY
Nicole Marie Daly, 16
Fort Lee, Virginia

MARINE CORPS
Abigail MaryRose Perdew, 17
Kingdom of Bahrain

NAVY
Alexander Ray Burch, 17
Grand Forks, North Dakota

AIR FORCE
Mark Newberry, 17
Medical Lake, Washington

COAST GUARD
Amanda Wimmersberg, 18
McGuire AFB, New Jersey

Learn more about the 2013 Military Child of the Year® award recipients.

Congratulations to the finalists for the 2013 Military Child of the Year® Award! The top 5 from each branch of service are listed below.

AIR FORCE
Caitlin Horner - Age 16 - Yorktown, Va.
Azalee McAlpine - Age 17 - Biloxi, Miss.
Mark Newberry - Age 17 - Fairchild AFB, Wash.
Elizabeth Urtso - Age 17 - Andrews AFB, Md.
Derrick Wallis - Age 13 - Poquoson, Va.

ARMY
Isabelle Berry - Age 13 - Harker Heights, Texas
Loran Cook - Age 18 - El Paso, Texas
Nicole Daly - Age 16 - Fort Lee, Va.
Haleigh Grimes - Age 17 - Chesterfield, Va.
Hunter Hotaling - Age 11 - Valrico, Fla.

COAST GUARD
Reino Graves - Age 14 - Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Keandra McDonald - Age 14 - Bellingham, Wash.
Reagan Smith - Age 12 - Sequim, Wash.
Amanda Wimmersberg - Age 18 - McGuire AFB, N.J.
Matthew Yarbrough - Age 17 - Fairhope, Ala.

MARINE CORPS
Matthew Graham - Age 17 - Bristow, Va.
Michael-Logan Jordan - Age 13 - Kailua, Hawaii
Kelly Kochanski - Age 17 - Meridian, Miss.
Abigail Perdew - Age 17 - Bahrain
Salvatore Sablan - Age 16 - Camp Lejeune, N.C.

NAVY
Alexander Burch - Age 17 - Grand Forks, N.D.
Daniel Knolla - Age 13 - Lake Stevens, Wash.
Jack Lund - Age 12 - Corpus Christi, Texas
Jackson Seniff - Age 14 - Coronado, Calif.
Tyler Zimmerman - Age 17 - Suffolk, Va.

The recipient will be chosen by a committee including retired military leadership, teachers, veteran service organization leaders, military mothers, and community members.

The recipient of the Military Child of the Year® Award for each branch of Service will be announced March 5. Each award recipient will receive $5,000 and will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C. for a special recognition ceremony on April 11, 2013.

Ideal candidates for the Military Child of the Year® Award demonstrate resilience and strength of character, and thrive in the face of the challenges of military life. They demonstrate leadership within their families and within their communities.

"The sons and daughters of America's service members learn responsibility and citizenship at a very young age," said Jim Knotts, President & CEO of Operation Homefront. "Children in military families understand sacrifice, service, and strength of character. This is what the Military Child of the Year® Award honors."

Top 20 for the 2013 Military Child of the Year Award

The top 20 from each branch of service are listed below.

Each semi-finalist will be interviewed by Operation Homefront staff, and award recipients will be chosen by a committee including active duty military personnel, Family Readiness Support Assistants, teachers, military mothers, and community members.

AIR FORCE
Benjamin H. - Age 16 - Roy, Wash.
Matthew W. - Age 17 - McGuire AFB, N.J.
Mark N. - Age 17 - Fairchild AFB, Wash.
Elizabeth U. - Age 17 - Andrews AFB, Md.
Azalee M. - Age 17 - Biloxi, Miss.
Loxley P. - Age 10 - Holloman AFB, N.M.
Jared M. - Age 14 - Anchorage, Alaska
Cassidy G. - Age 17 - Navarre, Fla.
Amoreh A. - Age 9 - Columbus, Ohio
Caitlin H. - Age 16 - Yorktown, Va.
Joseph N. - Age 11 - Carvel Beach, Md.
Devin G. - Age 10 - Edmond, Okla.
Ryan W. - Age 9 - Norway
Carley C. - Age 12 - Lithia, Fla.
Kaylee W. - Age 17 - Goldsboro, N.C.
Derrick W. - Age 13 - Poquoson, Va.
Katelyn R. - Age 13 - Mountain Home, Idaho
Kinsley C. - Age 8 - Montgomery, Ala.
Bree W. - Age 11 - Sheppard AFB, Texas
Edward V. - Age 9 - Las Vegas, Nev.

ARMY
James M. - Age 14 - Fort Meyer, Va.
Ben H. - Age 13 - South Korea
DeAnna T. - Age 10 - Fort Knox, Ky.
Riley C. - Age 9 - Wahiawa, Hawaii
Consuela T. - Age 8 - Killeen, Texas
Elizabeth C. - Age 18 - Bel Air, Md.
Loran C. - Age 18 - El Paso, Texas
Isabelle B. - Age 13 - Harker Heights, Texas
Alyssa C. - Age 12 - Fort Hood, Texas
Nicole D. - Age 16 - Fort Lee, Va.
Hunter H. - Age 11 - Valrico, Fla.
Caitlyn H. - Age 9 - Adams, N.Y.
Madeline S. - Age 13 - Frederick, Md.
Kimokeo W. - Age 11 - Egypt
Karlie B. - Age 13 - Colorado Springs, Colo.
Trinity M. - Age 11 - Eatonville, Wash.
Natalia S. - Age 11 - Clarksville, Tenn.
Haleigh G. - Age 17 - Chesterfield, Va.
Amari B. - Age 10 - Fort Sill, Okla.
Leilani R. - Age 9 - Fort Hood, Texas

COAST GUARD
Isaak B. - Age 11 - Union City, Tenn.
Isabel B. - Age 8 - Union City, Tenn.
Quinn C. - Age 9 - Mililani, Hawaii
Elijah D. - Age 10 - Saint Ignace, Mich.
Madison D. - Age 8 - Honolulu, Hawaii
Reino G. - Age 14 - Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Dacey H. - Age 17 - Key West, Fla.
Devin J. - Age 18 - Cransberry Township, Pa.
Madeline K. - Age 12 - Beaufort, N.C.
Israel L. - Age 13 - Key West, Fla.
Keandra M. - Age 14 - Bellingham, Wash.
Peter M. - Age 9 - Kodiak, Alaska
Austin N. - Age 15 - Wilmington, N.C.
Andrea P. - Age 13 - Rio Grande, P.R.
Fabian R. - Age 11 - Siminole, Wash.
Reagan S. - Age 12 - Sequim, Wash.
Jerome S. - Age 12 - Newport, Wash.
Hannah T. - Age 17 - Cape May, N.J.
Amanda W. - Age 18 - McGuire AFB, N.J.
Matthew Y. - Age 17 - Fairhope, Ala.

MARINE CORPS
Victoria A. - Age 12 - Oceanside, Calif.
Chaise B. - Age 10 - Oceanside, Calif.
Jacob C. - Age 11 - Kailua, Hawaii
Dillon G. - Age 18 - Fredericksburg, Va.
Matthew G. - Age 12 - Bristow, Va.
Justin G. - Age 14 - Oceanside, Calif.
Brianna H. - Age 17 - San Clemente, Calif.
Mitchell J. - Age 17 - San Diego, Calif.
Michael-Logan J. - Age 13 - Kailua, Hawaii
Penelope K. - Age 15 - Japan
Kelly K. - Age 17 - Meridian, Miss.
Brandy L. - Age 12 - Yuma, Ariz.
Emma M. - Age 8 - Richlands, N.C.
Abigail P. - Age 17 - Bahrain
Brigid R. - Age 8 - Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Salvatore S. - Age 16 - Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Madeline T. - Age 13 - Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Kassandra V. - Age 8 - Richlands, N.C.
Darian W. - Age 12 - Oceanside, Calif.
Isaabel Z. - Age 10 - Suffolk, Va.

NAVY
Taylor B. - Age 17 - Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Alexander B. - Age 17 - Grand Forks, N.D.
Ruth C. - Age 13 - Bremerton, Wash.
Ryan C. - Age 17 - Colorado Springs, Colo.
Isabella G. - Age 14 - Virginia Beach, Va.
Jamie H. - Age 12 - Coronado, Calif.
Mina J. - Age 16 - Chesapeake, Va.
Sierra J. - Age 10 - California, Md.
Daniel K. - Age 13 - Lake Stevens, Wash.
Jack L. - Age 12 - Corpus Christi, Texas
Adriel M. - Age 14 - Poulsbo, Wash.
Andrea P. - Age 9 - Cheasapeake, Va.
Robert P. - Age 10 - Virginia Beach, Va.
Mekenzie P. - Age 12 - Great Lakes, Ill.
Luna P. - Age 13 - Virginia Beach, Va.
Jackson S. - Age 14 - Coronado, Calif.
Magnus T. - Age 10 - Elk Grove, Calif.
Skyler W. - Age 8 - Lemoore, Calif.
Michael W. - Age 9 - Virginia Beach, Va.
Tyler Z. - Age 17 - Suffolk, Va.