The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Phyllis Camesano

Fall enrollment of veterans and military personnel at Buffalo State is up 30 percent over last spring and is expected to grow further. The increase is indicative of a trend on campuses nationwide spurred by the new, expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill, stepped-up recruiting efforts, and the job-constrained economy.

At Buffalo State, several new programs and initiatives have been started to help veterans and military personnel transition to campus life and to expedite paperwork required for certification and benefits. In Cleveland Hall, the Veterans Office was established under the direction of Associate Vice President Margaret Shaw-Burnett as part of her role with Continuing Professional Studies. In the Registrar’s Office, the often time-consuming task of veteran certification has come under the purview of Gail Rettig, associate registrar, and Pamela Bohin, agency program aide. Both offices are staffed by veterans who bring valued expertise and perspective.

“It is great having the veterans and military personnel on campus,” said Shaw-Burnett. “They bring a level of excellence and worldview that is valuable to all. We also recognize their unique circumstances and the need for special communication, connections, and resources.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill expands benefits offered under the Montgomery GI Bill, which was enacted in 1985. The new option is offered to veterans of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and veterans who were on active duty after September 11, 2001, and may include tuition, housing, and books, depending on the length of service. Direct dependents and survivors of veterans are also eligible.

According to Shaw-Burnett, many veterans and members of the military are new to college and need help transitioning from the formal structure and hierarchy of the military to life on campus. Others have been away from the classroom and may need remedial courses. Most need help deciphering and processing benefits.

“While most veterans are mature beyond their years and groomed to be stoic in the face of challenges, they still need help,” said Shaw-Burnett. “With limited resources, we are trying to package and communicate what’s available on campus.”

The Veterans Office functions as a one-stop shop, responsible for recruitment and advisement, admissions and financial-aid counseling, orientation, and new GI Bill information, as well as a liaison to other veterans on campus. Coordinator of veterans services Keisha Dobney, a senior airwoman in the Air Force Reserves, has been instrumental in re-establishing the Buffalo State College Armed Services Organization, which now meets every other week. The organization has proved to be an effective way for veterans to meet other veterans and share information.

For all veterans, their first stop is the Veterans Certification Office in Moot Hall. Rettig, Bohin, and the veteran work-study students work closely with the local Veterans Administration (VA) to ensure that paperwork is received and expedited. Early in the semester, when claims became backlogged at the VA and classes had already started, the Veterans Certification Office worked with Financial Aid to assist veterans in determining if they were eligible for other types of financial aid.

“In general, the vets come to you for help,” said Bohin. “A vet is always going to be polite, but I can see in their faces how eager they are to understand the system and make it work for them.”

For Veterans Day celebrations, Dobney has worked with Armed Services Organization leaders, Marine veteran Nathaniel Rey and Air Force Security Forces veterans Peter and Monica Trippi, on special tributes that will take place that week. On Monday, November 9, the Marine Corps Reserve will lead a color guard from the west side of the Campbell Student Union to the Veterans’ Memorial plaque near Rockwell Hall during Bengal Pause. At the memorial, 300 American flags will be placed, each representing 11 dead from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Organization members also plan to have the Rockwell Hall bell tower illuminated in red, white, and blue.

Everyone is invited to attend the annual Armed Services Reunion on Saturday, November 14, at the American Legion Niagara Frontier Post 1041, 533 Amherst Street. The event, which begins at noon, honors Buffalo State alumni, students, emeriti, faculty, and staff who have served or are serving in any branch of the United States or Allied military services.