A Steady Beat of Resilience and Leadership Rock Drummer Earns Military Child Honor
When Noelani Martinez pounds out a rhythm on her drum set, she’s not thinking about anything — she’s just jamming. But the teen has plenty to think about. The Brennan High School senior is the beat behind San Antonio’s School of Rock House Band and the recipient of the Military Child of the Year award from the Air Force. Martinez and six other children of service members were honored by the nonprofit Operation Homefront in April 2024 for embodying strength, resiliency, and service. The year before their nominations, the six performed over 3,500 hours of volunteer service, and Martinez herself earned top accolades for ROTC leadership, was part of a first- place winning drill team, and is in the top 2% of her graduating class. Noelani’s father, retired Colonel Melchizedek “Kato” Martinez, spent 29 years in special operations and tactical communications roles. Due to his career, Noelani and her three siblings have traveled the world, calling places as varied as the Netherlands and Hawaii home. “It’s amazing to be able to make friends from various places in the world and share our experiences,” she said of her life as an Air Force “brat.” But the Martinez family suffered a devastating loss: Noelani’s mother, Gail, was killed, and she and her siblings were severely injured during an April 2016 terrorist bombing of the Brussels, Belgium, airport. At just 9 years old, Noelani was the one comforting her siblings as they awakened from comas.
Summing up his daughter’s strength in the face of adversity, her father said, “She continues to bear both the physical and emotional scars of that tragic day, but rather than allow it to defeat her, she uses the pain to fight on and honor her mother’s love.” In an interview with an Ohio TV station, Noelani said she hopes the Child of the Year honor illuminates the challenges of military family life, particularly the frequent household moves that require starting over again and again. Her advice to other military kids is, “Give yourself grace” to get through the challenging parts.
TAKE A BREAK
Keto Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken
Ingredients • 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth • 2 tbsp heavy cream • 1 lemon, zest and juice • 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F and season chicken with salt and pepper. 2. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken skin-side down until crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 2 more minutes; remove from skillet and set aside. 3. Melt butter in skillet, then sauté garlic until fragrant. Add broth, cream, lemon juice, and zest. Simmer for 3 minutes. 4. Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce over, and bake in oven for 15–20 minutes or until cooked through (165 F internal temperature). Garnish with parsley before serving.
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