From Combat to Classroom

Mangan, K., & Wright, A. (2009). Colleges Help Veterans Advance From Combat to Classroom. (Cover story). Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(9), A1-A28. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

This brief article examined some of the issues veterans face when reentering civilian life. Dually, it also addresses the measures some administrators would like to see employed to help veterans adjust or readjust to campus life. Unlike some of the other articles I read, this one addressed some factors which may contribute to a veteran’s sense of alienation from his or her peers. These factors can include a difference in age from a veteran and a prototypical 18-year old freshman. Another factor that contributes to a veteran’s difficulty in transitioning is the lack of structure in academia. Those who are used to a 5:30 wake up call, and a set training schedule, may find this to be a source of frustration. Yet another factor comes from those who may still be winding down from battle stress. Those veterans may have difficulty being in a classroom setting, where they are required to be in large groups and sit still for longer periods of time.

The article suggests that counseling services need to evolve to accommodate this growing population of students. As noted in the article, the director of military services at George Mason University would like to see an increase in government funding to GI approved schools to help bolster existing programs. Due to this expanding portion of the student body, many programs find themselves ill-equipped to deal with the number of veterans looking for services.

Assessment: The content of this article remarks upon common themes throughout much of the literature on the soldier to student transition. What lends credence to the article are the interviews with several veterans who have transitioned successfully into campus life. By sharing their experiences they afford those reading a glimpse into the difficulty of assimilating into a foreign lifestyle. Beyond this, the article does not generate much new information. It simply repeats long stated directives about the post 9/11 GI Bill.

I found that this article is too limited to be of much use to my final project. It did not offer in depth analysis of the problems veterans face, nor did it contribute potential ways of stemming such problems. It simply recommended that Veteran’s Affairs throw more money to the effort.