Within a year of separating from active duty Army, I found myself sitting among college students just starting their adult journey, some never even have paid a bill or left their parents’ house. But surprisingly I was not the oldest in the room, and I did not resent the younger ones either; in fact, I was really excited to sit among them! One deployment, commanding Soldiers, and eight years of one-size-fits-all-mentality of the US Army had me craving people who had a different experience and mind set than I. Listening to the extremely varied opinions had me feeling refreshed and not superior, irritated, or even indifferent like I thought I would feel. I’m actually finding my love of learning all anew, and I’m excited to take on academia free of charge thanks to the wonderful GI Bill!

I think there is a general consensus among military people when they go back to school after experiencing war and hardship that they will go back to school aggravated. They think they have to listen to the petty complaints of entitled, well-off college students with no life experiences and certainly no grasp on politics and international affairs and what war does to a person; and I would understand their frustration, but I have found I am quickly embedding myself with students ten years younger than I and learning from them! Trust me, I can and have been that cranky old veteran who thinks their way is the only good way and everyone else’s experience is inferior; how immature and naïve of me! Everyone has something to bring to the table.

My recent experience has me feeling shocked about my own response in a good way. I’m truly happy to be home and among these equally fine Americans though they never served and never will most likely. I have gone back to my old alma mater with the same professors who used to irritate me with their political leanings. Only ten years earlier, I had walked out of my college building only to find myself suddenly in the middle of an antiwar protest. And yes, I had my uniform on because I had military science lab that day. You could have heard a pin drop as I walked through the crowd to get to my car. (I thought protests were supposed to be loud?) I had another professor try to bully me into not being a bully myself because she felt that I “walked though the halls like a tank” and intimidated people. (I’m sure I did because that is what military people are good at, right?) Equally as boldly, she almost failed me in her class because I had written a paper that communism was bad. (News flash: It is a failed political system, just saying.) Those days are long over because I’m still a patriot, but I understand now that not everything America does is so perfect, and we have our shortcomings and that’s okay. We must, however, strive for excellence, and I cannot think of a better way than to educate ourselves.

Just this week, I got up in front of the class, my first group of non-Soldiers, to give a presentation, and I was very nervous that I was going to insult someone, swear inappropriately, or just turn the event into a standup comedy for the class to gawk at my “intimidating demeanor” and miss what I was saying, or worse, dismiss me as an arrogant and ignorant veteran. Luckily, I didn’t get my regular dry mouth, and I actually enjoyed standing up and speaking to the overwhelmingly diverse crowd. (Who, by the way, were not standing at parade-rest and looking at me with the “can we go now” look my Soldiers always used to give me during mandatory training.) I have to admit, the girl before me seemed pretty shaky and nervous, she made me look super confident! I got a perfect score! I’m still competitive; some things will never change.

I would beg anyone to take advantage of the GI Bill, which has recently been upgraded to the “Forever GI Bill.” This means that no matter when you left the military, 10, 20, or 30 years ago, you can still use it! You can bring what you learned in the military to college campuses. I hear young Soldiers say, “College is just not for me.” I’m sorry, but why? Too tough and you doubt your abilities? Trust me, no matter your ASFAB score, you can do some form of certification or degree program, and you can call me if you need help. Plus the GI Bill not only pays your tuition and books, but they give you a monthly Housing Allowance where you can sustain yourself or simply take a part-time job to pay the bills. Take advantage of this! It is still more likely that those who graduate with a college degree make a million dollars more over the course of their lives than those who don’t. Can you make it if you don’t and be happy, sure, but there may be some information out there that you will never be exposed to unless you open your mind to education. There may be a whole new life and career that you can pursue. You can take a break from work, which you will be doing for likely the next 20 to 30 years anyway. Why start on a job you only partially like, or don’t like at all just because it is immediately available? Wouldn’t you rather struggle now for a short time and be better off later? Isn’t that why you left the military in the first place, to get a better job? There’s plenty of time to work so go to school now while you are young and can make the change more easily.

 I also consider it your duty to bridge the ever-increasing gap between the military and civilian worlds. You may find yourself being the only voice for the military in your community and in your class. Remember, only 1% of our country serves at any given time; you are part of a small group of proud individuals; do us solid and don’t let yourself and others be willingly ignorant. Your views need to be heard and your real world experience needs to be felt; I would hate for veterans not to have a voice, especially on college campuses where the future of our generation is forming ideas and forging our national identity!