The DoDDS VIII

The eighth reunion of overseas educators was held in Washington, D.C. in 1996 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the military dependent schools abroad. Schools in Cuba, Panama and the Philippines had been established much
earlier, but it was not until September 1946 that the dependents schools opened in Europe and the Pacific to educate children of the occupation forces sent folowing World War II.

These “temporary” schools were initially under the control of the local military commanders. As the system grew in both area and population, the schools went through various reorganizations to improve the management, curriculum and supply functions. At one time the Army, Air Force and Navy
were each responsible for the schools on their bases. Later, the responsibility for the schools was determined by area: the Army in Europe, the Air Force in the Pacific and the Navy in the Atlantic. As it became apparent this was no longer a “temporary” school system, the control was
given to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) came into being.