All right. Well, welcome to the final session
here of the second. Well, that the final
, Because we have a movie. But the final
panel of, uh, of this, uh,
second Veterans and Society Conference, and I just want
to start by first, um, thanking all of
you for coming. Uh, you know, without
you hear, nothing really will happen. And the
potential for what we envision can only be realized through
the kinds of conversations that have begun here. So
, um, you know, we'll be talking more
about that as the panel goes on. I secondly
, want to thank everybody here on to my left
and the one person who is not to my left
. But there she is in the back, who
has been, um, absolutely essential support. So
this is this is your planning committee. Uh,
and and Heidi is our co chair, as you
well know. And, uh, where is Kelly
Kelly's back there? Yeah, Thanks. Kelly,
back there. Okay. So, yeah. Kelly
, how come you're not up here? Okay,
Alright. Alright. So, Kelly, but And
the other side about Kelly Bellinger up there is that
, uh, as you as you read the program
, I mean, We needed a home this year
, and the Center for the Study of Rhetoric and
Society made a perfect home for what we're doing.
And so that's that's That's where we are. Since
this is a an opportunity for us to talk about
this concept of veterans in society, Um, and
it's about humanizing the discourse. And since although my
PhD is in the rhetoric, my first degrees in
literature and I thought I'd start by reading a poem
, and I'm going to use that as a sort
of Touchstone to try to frame my comments and it
might, I think it will make it will be
appropriate based upon some of the discussions that we've heard
today. It's a very short poem. It's on
it, written by Robert Frost, whom I wrote
my master's thesis on at Berkeley when I was on
active duty, and I basically wrote that Robert Frost
was a war poet and people were like couldn't figure
out how and why I would say such a thing
. But this poem is called a soldier. He
is that fallen lance that lies as hurled, that
lies unlisted, now come due come rust but still
lies pointed as it plowed the dust. If we
who site along it around the world see nothing worthy
to have been, it's Mark is because, like
men we look to near forgetting that is fitted to
the sphere. Our missiles always make too short and
arc. They fall. They ripped the grass,
they intersect the curve of earth and striking break their
own. They make us cringe for metal point on
stone. But this we know the obstacle that checked
and tripped the body, shot the spirit on further
then Target ever showed or show that really a strange
way to start this conversation. But you know,
there's several things that are going on there for me
. And one of the facts is that, you
know, Frost lost one of his best friends.
Edward Thomas, a fellow poet, a British poet
in the war. And this poem is really written
about Edward Thomas, but it's written about everybody as
well who who has served. And so there's a
There's a there's a there's a respect that's going on
there that I value I respect for some some act
of courage or heroism or, um, it may
be beyond our understanding at this moment. At the
same time, there's an anonymity anonymity. That bothers
me, and I think that part of the fact
that the poem is called a soldier is sort of
why it was one of the reasons why we're here
, because it's very It's very easy to not see
a soldier and airmen, a Marine, a sailor
. They have no name, they have no family
, they have no community. And one of the
things that we have tried to do here, I
think and we want to do in the long run
is to build communities, communities of scholars and communities
around what we're doing. I think Nancy's presentation today
talked about that and the fact that the veterans hospital
and the fact that the wounded the Virginia Wounded Warrior
program and the fact that the association United States Army
and the fact that all of these organizations came and
are here today and have been here with us,
that is a huge step forward for what we're trying
to do because as a veteran, as we're tired
Army as a scholar, as someone who wants to
see a scholarly program created around my fellow veterans and
their families, that cannot be done by scholars alone
. In fact, scholars alone talk themselves and probably
will not accomplish much of anything. However more can
it be accomplished by the military in any form.
Shape? It's not. They're not cable. That's
not their job. And nor is it going to
be accomplished by our policymakers because we already we're here
because they're not. They're not fulfilling their obligations long
term to the communities that veterans belong to. So
what we're here today to do, in my mind
, is to begin building communities. Thank you.
What are we You're just speaking. Yeah. Just
a few words. You know, I don't want
to. Back following. I guess our charge was
just to say a few words about what we've been
thinking about. My name is David Klein. Uh
, I teach in the history department at Tech,
and, um, I've been working on, I
guess, for about I'm embarrassed to say maybe 12
years now, on and off a project on the
African American experience during the Korean War and the integration
of the military. I'm very much a historian,
uh, from the school of bottom up history.
Um, I use lots of oral history. In
my work, I corroborate everything against other sources.
But I'm very much listening to the people who experienced
, um, and the book that I'm working on
and the radio documentary that worked on 10 years ago
for NPR. That's the core of this project.
Was the veterans telling their own stories? Um,
so the question that I'm thinking about and I just
want to say and recognizes that they're the experts,
Right. Um, so the question I've been thinking
about sort of all day is about perspective and voice
and in thinking about what a future program might look
like, or the future of discussions like this.
Um, what truly Democratic forms can veteran studies in
an academic setting? Um, take that. Recognizes
, um, the expertise through direct experience of the
veteran. And this gets at what you are saying
half smiling and but totally serious. As far as
I'm concerned that, you know, leave it to
the academics. We're gonna get it wrong. Um
, So how do we do this? As a
as a truly representative community, um, and move
the discussion forward. So that's what I've been thinking
about all day, and I've been seeing that in
all the various panels that's been resonating for me.
I'm really glad David's a part of this. So
, I mean, this is again were the fact
that we're moving interdisciplinary Lee right up here on is
a huge step forward. So because bring it closer
. Yep. My name is Barb Virgin. I
existence. Yeah, you can support you for undergraduate
students. Uh huh. About three years ago,
I got involved with Veterans Support Initiative Team, which
is a university wide committee that was formed Oh,
about three. About 3.5 to 4 years ago to
identify, to look into what the needs were of
our student veterans on campus and to see how we
can you know that support them and promote their academic
success very much like the babies appropriate at lunch today
. Talk about how did what programs and services do
we implement that are going to help with the transition
that are going to help them be successful? The
school also, what we're looking at is educating faculty
and administrators staff on campus. How do you interact
? And how do you work with veterans in your
classroom? Not only recognizing that, maybe yes,
they have certain, um, different needs from your
traditional age students, but also contributions that veterans can
bring. They have a life experiences, that they're
very mature thoughts, um, students. And they
really can contribute to your classroom. So, uh
, anyway, I have been on this is my
second year on on the planning Committee, and my
personal interest in this, and I guess, is
that I'm looking at the real practical application of veteran
studies taking the research and theory and being in say
so how do we take that and translate that into
our practices That kept in the university in the university
, said we have actually made some good progress.
We have a long way to go, but we
do have special transition program for, um for our
veterans. I'm forgetting everything else. So, uh
, okay, but that is, um that's where
I see the need. I worked closely with the
student veterans of America. Right now, that's where
my information comes from. I don't I don't want
to say I know what they need. I want
them to tell me what So all the programs we
are putting together really comes from the student veterans and
the student, veteran organization, Eric. Some of
the others. Thanks. Yes, this man is
this song. You guys hear me. Okay.
So I'm gonna bring it back up into the clouds
a little bit. Yeah, it's like the school
of Athens up here, but anyway, so my
training is as a besides being a Marine. My
academic training is as a moral and political philosopher.
And one of the questions that always I I usually
get started with is the Why question? You know
what? Why have a veteran studies program and in
another way, to look at that which I've had
several people ask me throughout this conference is I can't
believe there hasn't been one of these already. So
I guess the question is, why hasn't there been
a veteran studies program? And I think the answer
to that question has something to do with the growing
separation between citizens and soldiers in our society. You
know, uh, 50 years ago, 50 60
years ago, there really wasn't a need for sort
of a separation of a veteran studies because the veterans
themselves were embedded into communities and we're, you know
, American citizens. So as we have instituted an
all volunteer military force, and this boundary has continued
to increase between, you know, the people who
have served in the military and people who have not
. It's obvious that there is a very significant lack
of understanding of military culture and veterans in in the
United States, and probably in other countries as well
. So I think there is clearly a need there
because you look at the issues that are facing this
current generation of veterans. You know, the high
suicide rates PTSD, uh, you know, unemployment
, homelessness, things like that. It's obvious that
that that there is a problem there and something that
has become very evident as just listening to the different
presentations throughout this conference are the costs of war,
how great the cost of war are. I mean
, I think we all know that, you know
, at least theoretically And and certainly people have been
combat know it firsthand, but not only to the
soldiers themselves but to their families and to their Children
. And even as I was listening to Donna's presentation
this morning, one of the questions that came to
mind for me because how does growing up as a
military brat affect them as parents, you know,
the military, Brad's parents themselves, and does that
carry on into the next generation? So it's kind
of like, sort of a ripple effect that's going
on here. So the cost to being at war
are tremendous. And right now they're being born by
, you know, less than 1% of the American
population. Um, you know, I think that's
a real problem in a lot of ways. I'm
not sure what the solution is to that, Um
, but at least there needs to be a greater
understanding of what it means to serve in the military
. And, you know, my my research,
My dissertation research focused on Marine Corps basic training,
which I didn't expect to be returning to Paris Island
for my dissertation. But it's just kind of the
way it turned out. And I was interested in
looking at whether military training, in this case,
Marine Corps basic training develops certain values and skills that
contribute to community involvement. And the reason that that
was important to me was I believed, in a
democratic society, the lifeblood of a democracy, a
civic engagement, you know, and and there have
been studies that have come out recently. I think
the Pew Pew just published a study on the millennial
generation. There was an op ed written in the
The New York Times called the Me Generation or the
Selfie Generation. Right. So the selfie generation talking
about how this current generation is so separated from communities
, political engagement, religious affiliation, you know,
it's it's becoming more and more fragmented. So I
think we're becoming less and less civically engaged. And
I have a great concern for our nation in our
way of life if these trends continue. So my
question was, you know, I guess my first
question was our military veterans more civically engaged than others
. But obviously that was too broad of a question
to answer in dissertation. Um, so I wanted
to know, rather, is the military teaching skills
and values that could be considered to lead to civic
engagement? And, you know, I found out
that, in fact, that they were depending upon
the framework that I looked at and in the small
case of Marine Corps basic training. Um, so
you know, for me, the question of veterans
. While it is a small segment of the population
the question. It's a microcosm of the problems that
we're facing as a society. And I think if
we can answer perhaps some of these questions that are
playing veterans and whether veterans can help, you know
, be more engaged in their communities and serve as
a model, and that there are lessons that we
can learn from what the military is doing to help
us become more engaged, I think that could help
us as a democracy. So that's sort of where
I'm coming from. Yeah, here, Yes.
But please threw it away because in the course of
our conversations, both formal and the informal ones,
plenty of people have said it better than I could
again. I'm here partially as a last professor of
political and moral philosophy, currently the public affairs and
History librarian and also, in fact, a librarian
for ROTC. So Colonel Montgomery should have been getting
my emails. That's okay up. There are so
many things that have come up in the course of
this conference, in the things we've been thinking about
in planning this one. And as we as we
reflect that last year's initial conference back on campus attack
, there are a couple of trends along the line
, and they really depend upon not just us up
here or just tech, but upon all of you
and your colleagues, including folks for whom a spring
conference is difficult and a Monday meeting especially difficult.
Uh, and that is points that we raised in
the call for papers back in the fall. Looking
at what would veteran studies as an inclusive field B
one that is sensitive to historical change and continuity,
one that looks beyond the boundaries of the United States
? Other countries have veterans now from the same war
. Other countries have had better since before this country
existed. Maybe we can learn from them. And
I would hope that we would take that broader view
both from the standpoint of what would inform scholarship and
meet the kind of criteria that would allow Eric and
other rising scholars who are taking veterans seriously Well,
I will get jobs and get publications and advance the
field. It is a kind of student success there
. When a rising scholar can say this is something
I want to know more about, and I think
it's important that the rest of find out we've talked
previously or through this session about the necessity. And
we tried to demonstrate in putting this program together that
multiple disciplines, multiple methodologies can contribute to the understanding
. And we've asked you here and thank you for
paying for the privilege to engage in those broader conversations
so that we can avoid some of the pitfalls of
stories that we can get a more nuanced view.
Some of you have heard us batting around slogans like
all sides, all eras, all modes of service
which might include addressing the unfortunate aspects the people who
served. You got bad paper being an obvious example
you talked about outside of some of these sessions and
now along those lines were going to give you the
library pitch, part of what my job is to
develop the collection of tech library in the fields that
I support. There are a couple of things going
on related to that you are actually participating. If
you presented at this conference, you will be getting
a letter from Jim and or be and were hiding
, asking you to contribute to the proceedings which would
be online and open access. And some people get
scared by the idea of open access scholarship, particularly
humanities, because you're worried someone is going to steal
your ideas. Mhm Well, by putting it on
our institutional repository, you will get a date step
permanent u R l and university certification that you said
it here first, and we hope that you will
contribute the papers. We'll send you instructions and what
they should look like. And you get to fill
out a release just as all of us up here
got to fill out a release because this panel and
the one we just finished his video and is going
to be on the university libraries, institutional repository or
B tech works. And that should go up within
a couple of weeks so that we can contribute these
conversations. It's not going to be so interesting for
us who look at them and say, Darn,
I meant to say something else, but at least
you can hear the more developed versions of what we
say elaborate upon the ideas, just as you would
with the traditional papers to make that conversation possible.
Of course, those of you presented we need your
contributions. Last year's proceedings covered at the conference we
would like a higher input rate this year. There
one pair of points that I'll end here before we
open up further conversation. One of my interests and
it's been expressed in some of these views is thinking
about veterans as the independent various. So much of
the conversation has treated veterans as the objects of society
for the people who have been manipulated by some aspects
of their environment, whether it's military training, environment
or combat, or any number of things as well
. Well, I think. And some of the
presentations have addressed this already. We think we need
if we're going to take veteran studies seriously as a
field, not simply to look at the veterans as
objects, but as agents. That's the idea of
veterans, the independent terror. What are the contributions
, including the bad stuff? So that we can
understand that? And I'm hoping as a consequence of
conversations that we've tried to cultivate in two years of
doing this conference to start laying out what would an
agenda for veteran studies as an academic, particularly on
the research side, you see how complicated it is
and probably no one institution in blame. The monopoly
on finding, but collectively we might be able to
make a cut. Follow the Roman of Declaration of
Principles. Those studied public administration may have heard about
Blacksburg Manifesto. Obviously not. It's one of those
arcane items in the library. It's actually important work
created by one department I've worked with some decades ago
to try and give a normally for us to what
public relations could be. It's not the only way
to approach public administration just as the way we try
to articulate what better in studies, but as a
Touchstone for point of departure. It's something we might
want try to work towards. As we continue our
conversations, I think the floor is open to all
of you, and there are two mix I believe
they're turned on. So if you have a question
, it might help. If you would get up
and walk to the mic rather than someone like old
me trying to run up and down the piles,
giving you the mic and and and ask the questions
are sharing your thoughts because this is really about building
. As Bruce was saying, we're building something that
would be both collaborative and interdisciplinary and and and and
really international, ultimately. I mean, we had
two papers read today from our colleagues in Nigeria.
So I mean, the fact that there are Nigerian
officers interested in this work is pretty heartening in my
mind. So Well, what we have is,
um I think the results of this this conference which
I in the last year's conference, which I think
are fairly substantial beginnings for making a case that no
, the university might understand. We have a grant
this summer to write a grant, which is pretty
cool.$10,000 to write a grant that would from
the any any h that would build, um,
a symposium and more than likely try to put together
a published collection, a book around this topic.
So those of you who are scholars, uh,
you know, you might get interested in what we
end up with and and come together. We have
, um, for example, is what unfortunately,
Jim just had to pick up and leave to catch
the shuttle. But, I mean, I know
we have Eastern Kentucky and and, uh, Missouri
ST Louis, who have begun programs that we can
both share, learn from and use as Touchstones and
we have the interests of the community. Um,
who are here? Community members who are here who
are not academics. And I think that is going
to make a big statement. And we have the
fact, and I and I This was sort of
the point that I made at all, um,
the number of the PR pieces which we had a
Virginia Texas principles of community allied veterans as a as
a the constituent element of of what it calls diversity
. And, uh, we are the least under
, you know, at least served and most underrepresented
element of diversity on the campus. And we are
the only one really, without some kind of academic
focus behind it and at a military friendly school like
Virginia Tech. Um, I can tell you that
my colleagues, the former criminals who are in charge
of all the veterans associations around here, they are
appalled and and they want to put every resource they
have to help do something about that. I mean
, they think they can again, they can't understand
. To paraphrase Eric, why why hasn't this been
done? And and they seem to think that Virginia
Tech is a great place to do it, At
least in our state. You know, I'm not
gonna We already have some begins other places, but
I don't know if that's enough, but that's where
we are. Yeah, that's that's where we are
. I know we've discussed several other things as well
. For instance, you know, starting an association
veteran studies association, starting a journal, things like
that. So we're hoping that with some of the
, you know, the funds that we have this
summer, we can start to really put together some
more substantial elements as far as developing it as an
academic field. No. Yeah. Oh, yeah
. Around innovation, community mourning and nationalism, Right
. Research. So just think about raising my letters
. That because I think all over could come from
them interdisciplinary. Those are all demonstrated in my in
my practice is to never have, Sir. Sir
, is this program going through the risk like,
Well, we're going to studying was probably initiated 40
years ago because the Virginia Tech magazines there's articles about
, uh, we have no home with Ernest returning
because I don't know who my copy that help with
Uh huh. It also conflicted whenever the students took
over the campus to protest the war. And I
find this really unique is most everything has come full
circle and even we talk about our labors. Uh
, speaking of Secretary General, uh, he was
very outspoken against the Lord to testify. Fathers?
Uh, cable doesn't broken up a reputation. I
mean, areas in here now and service. So
I'm only going to China. Put this program together
whenever you say you're disciplined. Like, uh,
whenever I was going to college getting justice, uh
, we got the worst free program. Got courses
that psychology lots to have sociology and political science and
said this is what you need to go out and
work also in addressing this, I really see this
invisible coming out the word as they've ever on your
military that I would want to Uh huh. Seeking
fine rather than hunting star thing. Your presence here
, I should let know that you were a part
of sure. A way to put it hazed all
over again. Uh, but there's so many potential
starting there are so many. Yeah. Uh huh
. Heard a number of observations of the question world
civilians one. Get again. So what movie get
and that those are empirical question. Yes, sir
, it might be. And I don't plan.
We have consensus up here will be having Yes,
it is Already. It might be that the research
agenda comes first in trying to articulate what are the
important questions that particular undergraduate should know And his self
isn't undergraduates who are veterans, who we are healthy
. We're trying to help or sessions supporting Is it
again the civilian undergraduates who are sometimes clueless and not
necessarily motivated aside for yes and credits to take the
course? I don't know what those and this is
again. Where our conversations about what? The priorities
on the results side on the educational side I need
or who Veteran study Uh huh. 11 small addition
that I don't have. First, I'm gonna I'm
gonna very much want to gather some of the information
that you have raised and learn more about it.
To think about the historical connections to Virginia Tech and
that we might be able to draw upon to see
how we might make use of that. And I
think about, uh, the places where I've been
and, you know, I started. I started
educational at 1st and 73 then I went to Berkeley
. And then I went to Miami and I in
each place the sort of tenor of the university changed
. And and but at each place I grew as
a student at a person and a citizen because I
was subjected to inquiry, that it made me uncomfortable
in areas in which I was not familiar. And
I think that that's been one of the beauties of
the university system in all areas of civil rights,
whether you're talking about race or gender or sexual preference
, Um, courses of study or even single courses
in a department have helped educate and whether enlighten or
change, or at least at least educate and expose
young people to ideas that it might even be anathema
to them or their parents but certainly would cause them
. We hope to at least pause and reflect.
So I would say at a minimum, and that
goes to everything to include the panel that we had
up here before, so that any student who walks
out of a course like that would at least understand
. If I say support the troops, I'm taking
into account a number of perspectives that might be out
there on that. That particular phrase and perspectives that
might have embedded in them ideologies or agendas. And
I think that that maybe at least enough of a
certain place, of course I'd love to hear from
Our colleagues have already have courses on this. I
mean, this is where we need we need help
. Uh, that's something I think is really important
. I am. I am responding first to your
question for whom would would veteran studies be if it
was the studies program at our universities, for all
of us, Which is pretty much what you did
with this conference, right? You, uh,
did not put a fence around the community. And
I think that what Jim just said really, really
plays that out. All of these courses for things
you took advantage of or you didn't, But they
were on your campus. So if if you we
are serious about having veteran studies, it needs to
be something that serves a complex. A diverse and
an academic community in the academic community is not only
in the classroom, so that would be my response
. I'd like to jump to a question that's a
bit more Taipei, and that's I would assume that
everyone here and up there and people who were at
the last year's conference will figure out what the curriculum
is going to look like. I also know the
curricula change with alarming regularity and that we all have
to sit on those committees and change it. So
it's not like you're carving it in stone, right
? You know, So you can make, um
, it's not even mistake. You grow. My
question is, how are you going to pay for
it? And, um and I think that that's
question that can't be asked to early. Is there
a new way to build apartment? Or I don't
know if you're thinking major or if you're thinking certificate
or if you're thinking minor or if you're thinking department
, you know, those are all all options,
and this is these are hard economic times. I
think they've always been hard economic times for academia.
But do you think that there's a possibility that that
the interdisciplinary initiative wow could be co funded with maybe
not veterans societies, but with our own military?
Um, with the Pentagon, I know that many
of our science projects on our public universities have a
deep, deep funding that that has made science possible
, sometimes at times in our country, when it
wouldn't be possible. Otherwise, what about this?
Is there a way for you to build bridges or
walk across bridges you may already have access to to
get funding outside of our university in our legislature and
our board of whoever they are friends? Visitors?
I'm not sure we've got one of our colleagues in
the back has would love to respond, and I
think that's you heard or not. But we've been
developing this conference this year like Jim said through a
research center at Virginia Tech that is focused on various
elements of diversity and is charged with looking for external
funding to pursue our research projects. So we've had
a great time working together this committee and putting this
conference together. And so I think that that is
a good kind of see better place to continue doing
just what you said Jane to look for external funding
. Um, and you know, maybe eventually,
the veteran studies program would not be always located in
that research center, but it could be a place
to incubate it and to find those funds to either
become a major part of the center or even the
whole center. But then eventually, perhaps something different
. But anyway, I think it's a good place
to do that work of looking for external funding,
which I agree it's really important. Actually, I
think that veterans studies is a great opportunity for higher
education and for the arts and humanities, especially because
, you know, right now, with the funding
being under fire for the auction, humanity, especially
the question that often is asked, Is this relevant
to society? And how is this relevant to society
? Well, here's a pressing public problem. Veterans
in society you know, we're killing themselves at a
rate of 25 per day who make up 30% of
the homeless population. Things like that. And I
think we we've seen throughout this conference there ways that
the arts and Humanities scholarship can help answer some of
these questions. Um, so, yeah, I
mean, I think this is a great way for
us to demonstrate how we can be relevant to society
. And I would hope that by doing that there
would be some funding available for us to do that
. I guess another way to try to tie together
a couple of questions is this question of interdisciplinary t
, you know, and how can we ensure that
we're doing good interdisciplinary scholarship rather than just doing a
poor job of three fields or whatever? And once
again, veteran studies is a topic that lends itself
extremely well to interdisciplinary and inter disciplinary methodology. Because
there are two characteristics of good, interdisciplinary work,
at least two one is that it needs to be
focused on a particular area or particular problem. In
this case, you know, helping veterans reintegrate into
society and things like that. So it's directed towards
a particular purpose, and the second thing is that
it needs to be grounded in the disciplines themselves.
Interdisciplinary t. It depends upon disciplinary to inform it
. Um, so the way you did, and
perhaps even one of the ways that you pay for
it is by leveraging the disciplinary strengths that already exist
, you know, and encouraging people who already have
these disciplinary expertise is in particular areas. To perhaps
, look, you know how their disciplines can inform
this particular discourse on veterans So you know, there
are a lot of stuff that can be done internally
. I would say to just sort of redirect the
focus of the disciplines towards this particular issue. Here
may also be a question of where Hello? Scary
. Uh, well, it would seem to me
that a key area for the question What? What
should we know about veterans and the Relations Society?
It would seem to be appropriate that created some respect
in military training. I don't know if there is
a rule in the official RTC for service academy,
correct, so that particularly rising officers, whether for
themselves and their colleagues or for their enlisted personnel,
can help make this transition. That might be four
years ago. What here is like but where the
opportunities to work with military? Yes, there might
be a all right certain other settings and therefore the
correct whatever the ideal model, first slice of correct
. Yeah, yeah, first of my family.
It's not good. I have to say, I
really appreciate you said earlier response to a question for
boom. Uh, I agree, um, release
sort of thinking about that handle back here where there
is a question at one time. Uh huh.
Can you argue this? Truce it right. And
without any interest in my back pocket, I don't
have you, Eric. What? We shared less
than 1% population. One of the argument that many
people don't have connection. Those who are veterans have
to serve accelerations and so that I think there probably
are support troops, personal connection. They have what
it is something that is eventually designed. We are
standing for, uh, personal history with personal passions
. Why this? So the reason I put together
the question I had to look for some folks in
the room who have programs to focus on better studies
. Um, is this question of civilian and just
to help veterans program is really important. Because I
think you were saying earlier something I have this conference
was, um what do you see as ways to
engage civilities Syrian students in joining this program? Because
I think the reason that this engagement, um,
would be publishing shame for veterans were coming over truly
aren't students for days. And that's the issue.
You proceed well for everything, but it's a style
. So this is a wonderful for inviting people into
this course across, disciplines just recognizing should. And
we're broadly sort of, uh, don't provide.
Yeah. So that's how you'll engage civilians who might
not Otherwise, uh, because language, military cultural
codes, those truly appropriate, right? Shot answering
, Yes. Mhm. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah
. Yes, yeah, Yeah, Obviously the same
. Kind of I'd like to answer your as and
a lot of Americans. And we continue for me
. My this morning, I was finger as watching
the panel discussion, um, on rhetoric. Then
what was fascinating about this morning's discussion was better.
Was that? Yeah. Yeah. Process of of
the panel discussion. The first question was better in
terms of military. Tried to bridge the gap.
Military is. And by involving what happened was there
is forever they might don't make your with art.
Those three people have skills. Two of them were
civilians. Their skills that bridge. And I am
here I am. And in 1990 19, 82,000
, I was, uh, bagel shop and we
were over. And there are meeting. You look
very better. Who wanted to start a program?
Military banners that included you. And? And we
started here. It was really great. And what
I learned for myself, whereas when definitions support through
change, it was started out as support. The
troops means support the, you know, the the
the political discourse and now my definition of support help
have reason to break by Michigan. And so I'm
really excited that, actually is there. I think
my question is, how do we know? Yeah
, yeah. Do you have a comment about that
as well? But I just wanted to ask for
you guys with all the veteran studies. Are you
really interested in developing curriculum from, like a military
child? Studies, as you know, separate in
this thing and not not just the divorce step,
child, because I have seen a lot of things
in the past where they lump us in with,
You know, it's like the family, and what
really happens is they end up still talking about this
over the spouses and the kids never really get seriously
, so I would love to be a part of
something like that. You guys are really open to
control Group said Wait, a literature review for us
. You know these because it's letting us know what
the important issues are within the field of study and
, you know, you have identified this may be
a lot. Have you considered it should have been
doing this work identifies this very important area of research
to support veterans and their families. So So,
yeah, I think any of the things that have
come up during this conference are certainly things you're definitely
considering to include program. And you promised. I
think it's important for us to understand study a stamp
like when I'm trying to plan a program just recognizing
that veterans themselves are very diverse population. And I
think we have to be careful to say what advice
does not necessarily like to someone else because you have
retired. Retired. Um, you've got a career
as opposed to the young veterans. You make it
in there to four years and he comes back.
And so I think that, you know, we
have to look at them very differently, inciting them
differently and know how to serve all of it.
But there are still transition issues, and when they
retire or coming from me, that's kind of yes
, we'll take anything mhm need to look at our
community and change over time. There's a real temptation
to focus on because there is a need right now
to present user preferences lands. There's so much that
we where from cast and some veterans Has it worked
? I just want to say something. I work
out of the Veterans Employment Commission. One meeting and
one of the things that struck me was with employment
credit credits that companies could get for hiring vets.
But the vet, uh, employment officers still say
how difficult it is for him to place veterans work
environment because a lot of these companies just don't They
don't want they say they don't want that. They
don't want to hire that. So that area giving
, you know, someone who is in that arena
might be helpful to come here as well. I
haven't really heard of reform issues specifically in that realm
, but I just wanted to throw that out there
. This lady over here had a question. So
I hang up the lock. That was like,
Yeah, I've been playing with this all day.
You asked especially anything, and I actually I have
a nice little argue, but I am American and
nervous, uh, trade and such, uh,
at the University of Virginia and I've been playing with
the name and I really I don't know how cemented
you are in the name of whatever you're going to
be or maybe lots of other people can be with
you. But I really think it is something coming
language where is really critical and high nights here,
kind of trick to scratches. But I really think
being more interdisciplinary, more inclusive would certainly draw in
other disciplines with great in Children. You know,
I've worked. I've mentioned a couple of the A
. I worked at second at the hospital and,
uh, whenever Texas, right outside of many Children
with military, uh, the documents you will receive
. So, you know, I mean military families
in society and in society, part of this critical
families and Children. I do think that the Children
are lumped into families and ignored or forgotten, which
is part of the role anyway, So I think
you know You know what? Yeah, I think
I really think the name is very critical and is
that you were able to get doctors in various fields
to be interested and bring their perspective to upgrade the
issues that are focused on for about education psychology about
deep, uh, whatever. Sure. All those
things, obviously. And there are a lot of
people with expertise, no together and reading choose bogus
on the crisis. But it wasn't like that the
last moment, I think. I mean, so
I just got a job I social sciences department and
yeah, but, um, one of the things
they asked the application was to design interdisciplinary course.
Of course, based on my back, I designed
the interdisciplinary veterans in society and things like that,
and they were so impressed with the course, and
it did so well with their programs. They asked
me to teach the course. So there are opportunities
out there to get instructions in these departments, I
think, various topics. So, yeah. I
mean, it may not be recreating it as much
as it is sort of martial sex or refocusing.
So and I went to the first point out that
Mark and I also done some work together in library
, then on issue of better sites, oddly enough
, but I don't want to Yeah, one of
these use of creditors are as this, uh,
down the arm, university archives and Special Collections Department
. When they came up sessions, but I It
shouldn't simply be about what we expect might be doing
for a hypothetical. We've been trading in terms of
the undergraduate program. Uh, yeah, the fact
that you folks are here, whether your university affiliations
or association affiliations, hospital affiliations, uh, public
services affiliations, this should be a collective enterprise.
We're not always going to be a big question,
as they have been in all the other studies.
Fields of attention between Identity, World. What helps
there is what serves veterans. How, however,
that turns to find and the aviation more disinterested,
critical view that will come from the civilian academic side
. There will be lots of differences, and that's
where you and I hope we can collectively explore some
of these possibilities maybe in terms of pedagogical strategies,
development, individual courses and development. But again,
there are so many research worthy questions out there.
Then, as a farmer said, there are so
many differences among veterans as a population where we love
things together, that we simply don't know where the
distinctions live in terms of experiences, bringing in terms
of responses to experiences in different situations in the military
or ending being part of the larger military community,
whether it's family and journalists, civilian contractors, most
of whom are not mercenary in the traditional sense of
the term. But we just don't know about before
we close. I know we had several people who
have their hands up and carry guns. Was one
of them, would you? Very school. Well
, I mean, I think just the whole discussion
, you know, lends itself is not Virginia Tech
the land grant mission. I mean, the engagement
of community partners, the, um, connections to
core democratic principles that air raids, Um, the
need to educate undergrad, um, society in general
. I do appreciate Bruce is, uh, reference
to the Blacksburg manifesto, and I would like to
offer that if we need to frame where we should
go with this area of study. Look at the
advocacy coalition framework. I think all the issues that
we talked about today are represented in that framework.
And better yet, we have a window of opportunity
. We have the veteran and military family population which
politicians like to find, so I think the timing
Trife, if you need someone to do the assessment
and study, I'm available. Mhm. Follow somebody
Mhm heart. Seven. Uh huh. This is
, uh huh. And so there are like that
. But my my help, the questions that were
and yeah, just because. Yeah, but the
design A program like that. I'm just thinking about
the idea that there's a way to have some of
the things that you're talking about. Any that engine's
not responsible business. There will be a way.
Um, you know, business will possibly that it's
not just always something measure. They got you to
better the type of person. In addition, you
can like horses. Okay. So I don't know
his hell, yeah. How about half that's another
extra things and eating them they don't even know about
become asked this Mhm. I mean, as far
as the language. Why are you got around any
new courses? And this is It is okay,
so yeah, right. We have maybe two more
, and then we have to j. And it
was very but they also have something pressing like you
could try to get everybody because we want to.
We have eight o'clock. There's there's a constraint.
Trade eight o'clock. 20$100. So we got
my name is very quick and then maybe Jane can
finish. I was bouncing off. What? Gary
just said that. Sort of like writing across the
curriculum. Veteran studies across the curriculum in a sort
of smaller way. All around the curriculum, in
addition to a more institutionalized set of courses are minor
or major. That's sort of a neat idea.
So just wanted to give it a name and is
very responsible here talking about why he's with the incense
himself. Yeah. Talk about the president's suicide.
I am. And yes, but I see a
need supreme focus on what I'm eating. I'm sure
the president's side understand while we came. Okay.
How's yours? What you saw? Well, when
you talk about creating civic environment, leading very acidic
environment, so many ways report. Yeah, Yeah
. So huge. I love that total titles Get
down. There are many Really? Yeah. The
property was right. Yes. I always have a
great girl. Yes, sir. I don't see
this at a a major, because my you can
only there. Okay, So I remember this shaded
area. This is the place to support the red
with research to eliminate the heart of Somali population,
uh, to build social workers to go with whoa
to connect and encourage other programs as wired up once
the city is despised. His words talented informal point
or like this, they study for you. Or
that they have a ask clarifying. And then James
said, this specific environment, which goes with the
land grant, called specifically the one that for our
what you'll see that I actually can't see. This
has agreed 100. I can see a smattering of
courses that are here there, that act of the
Bible. We are Land Grant College and part of
coming into land. Grant College is is averaging over
camping here. The core reasons were our land right
column has a passive line by the world, but
other than writing studies, I can't give you an
impression. Really, right, Irene. How,
Paul, Welcome and say that where I see it
quitting is as a mine that I can see people
who are heading interactions, uh, involved. One
of the background studies military part of it of particular
kinds of businesses that we try to educate military families
and members for years, whether it be used cars
outside the gates or the pose we're lending or you
know I go along. But in any case,
we also had an agent society, and we I
think there's a look around. There are a fair
number of baby university. A fair number of baby
boomers do have direct connections with the military, and
some things have been talk fast. I alluded to
the fact what we need as we age so I
can see some way dermatology as well as the consumer
and business. So minor way and also something that
way. Right? And given I think that's that
. A places to start and see how a series
of four or five horses, uh, together a
range of perspectives. I think there's a beginning,
So yeah, it's probably where we would start.
I think I can't say I'm speaking just my perspective
. Developed for English and help design a program designed
PhD. His focus was the American society, and
, uh so I think that's, um, makes
sense, since we just have a recent, uh
, minor in civic engagement and our problems, we
certainly could be one, but I think it shouldn't
just be within our policies across colleges. So I
think you're right. So this is it is and
I am thrilled you ask my wife and I think
how much by lots and how much I'm worried about
all this. But I am overjoyed, uh,
at the reception and the turnout and the energy that
you all drop to this room in the other rooms
and interesting scholarship that you're doing. I've learned so
much today, my colleagues have as well and I
hope that we will continue this conversation in many different
ways. We outlined several and we'll come up with
more. And if you have other ways, we're
easy to find. We have Facebook, We have
a link to a page. We have ways that
we can talk and we should use it. Yeah
, because you've been You've been sitting down there,
Your duty, I recording. I'm just thinking administratively
down context. I know we're having a We're having
meetings again. A couple more meetings the semester Discuss
how this conference is gone. What we want to
capture for this summer as we're doing the grant writing
and then thinking for the future. So we'll be
sending information about that. If you have any questions
or you want to follow up with us, Yeah
. Please do be in touch as we want to
keep. The community is vibrant, so thank you 1000 --> A:middle L:90% .