After spending more than half his life serving in the army, Brian Miller was 38 years old when he attended his first University class. He came to class early to claim a seat in the front of the classroom — to the left of center. After four terms in Iraq, Miller’s hearing is impaired on his left side. He suffers from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and “being in a crowd can be unsettling.”
Miller failed his chemistry course that term and said his wife had to talk him out of committing suicide over a German history paper.
“I could see the paper in my head,” Miller said. “But, when I went to type it, I just couldn’t do it.”
Although not out of the ordinary for a first-year student to struggle over a history paper, Miller’s issues in academia cut far deeper than freshman anxiety.
“Your life is not worth a history paper,” the veteran said he now realizes. “But in the military, you have this mentality that failure is not an option.”
Entering college with this mentality, Miller said, is just one of several factors that made it a hard transition from the military back into school.
“Some people aren’t aware of some of the shit we have to go through,” Miller said. “You’re used to being in a structured environment. You’re used to having people around you that you know — then you’re kind of just thrown into the dark and have to weave your way through it alone.”
Four years later and less than one year away from a degree in environmental studies, Miller has found ways to cope with school. He attributes much of his success to resources for veterans on campus.
After struggling academically through his first few terms, Miller was referred to a clinic for cognitive rehabilitation by the University’s Office of Veteran Affairs to improve his writing and studying techniques. Professor McKay Sohlberg has worked extensively with veterans at the clinic, part of the College of Education’s HEDCO center, developing complex therapy services to aid veterans who may have developed learning disabilities during service.  
“The effects of PTSD and traumatic brain injury can have noticeable effects on attention abilities and learning,” Sohlberg said.”We’re lucky we have a specialized clinic on campus. It’s going to become increasingly more important.”
Because of better education benefits included in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the student veteran population on campuses around the country is expected to grow.  
“If you don’t have a job to come back to, it seems like a good idea to come back to school,” said Gretchen Jewett, director of nontraditional and veteran education and support.
In light of this expected increase in veterans’ presence on campus and the continued focus on diversity on campus, the University has begun to implement new measures to recognize them. In February, Non-traditional and Veteran Student Programs hosted the first UO Veteran Symposium.
“It was an educational opportunity for faculty and staff to learn more about what it’s like to transition from combat to college,” Jewett said of the seminar, which included workshops on suicide prevention, traumatic brain injury and creating inclusive and welcoming classrooms for veterans.
The symposium was open to all faculty, graduate teaching fellows and staff, and 65 attended.
The responsibility is on the faculty and staff to know how University members can make the campus experience a positive one for veterans, said David Landrum, University director of financial services.
Like Miller, Landrum served in the army for more than 20 years. He also participated in the University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, training from the fall of 1988 to June of 1991.  
“Services have significantly improved over the years,” Landrum said.
However, the University’s positive military reputation might be an exaggeration, he said, and the
University should do a better job of uniting the veteran community across campus.
“Because of our common experiences in uniform, we do have a bond,” Landrum said.
Veterans identify differently with their experiences in service however, Landrum said, making some veterans resistant to seeking out support systems and connecting with other fellow service members.
Miller’s difficulty with transitioning into college is not indicative of all student veterans on campus, but neither is his involvement in the campus community. As co-director of the Veterans and Family Student Association, Miller has made a deliberate effort to be active and seek out resources available to him. Of the estimated 300 veterans receiving G.I. education benefits on campus, only a handful are as involved as he was, Miller said. As a result there may be educational benefits and support services entitled to veterans that they may not be using simply because they are not aware of their eligibility.  
“At UO, all these offices and resources are spread out all over, and students need to find their own way to navigate,” Jewett said, proposing to combine the services on campus to create a one-stop veteran center in the EMU renovations — an idea reiterated by both McKay and Landrum.  
“I think the support is there,” McKay said. “We just need to keep doing community outreach.”

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