CSUSM Salutes Veterans

CSUSM Salutes VeteransPaying tribute to the admirable service and sacrifices of our nation's veterans, CSUSM is hosting three community events in honor of Veteran's Day.In addition to acknowledging the contributions of all of our nation's service members, CSUSM will also honor the military service its own student-veterans. Nearly 900 CSUSM students self identify as active duty personnel, veterans, or military dependents. Recently recognized as a military-friendly institution, CSUSM is ranked among the nation's best universities for veterans by both G.I. Jobs Magazine and Military Times EDGE.Veterans Center Hosts CelebrationKicking off the week's events, the CSUSM Veterans Center will host its annual Veterans Day celebration and reception in the Tukwut Courtyard at noon on Tuesday, November 9. Students, faculty, staff, and the community are invited to attend this special midday event recognizing and honoring our nation's veterans. A color guard, comprised of CSUSM student-veterans, will present the colors followed by a message from guest speaker Deputy Commander Col. David Myers of Camp Pendleton.CSUSM, which opened the doors of its Veterans Center just two years ago, is one of only a handful of California State University campuses to offer an academic support and social center for veterans."The Veterans Center is a welcoming place where veterans, active duty service members, and military dependents can come, be themselves, and connect with other students who share a military service background," explained CSUSM Veterans Affairs Specialist Vicki Hernandez. "We're here not only to help students transition into the civilian world, but to also help them successfully integrate into the academic arena as well."Honoring Our Veterans Showcases Art and LectureOn Tuesday, November 9, CSUSM will host Honoring Our Veterans, an evening event featuring the second annual Operation Art exhibit, followed by a lecture from U.S. Navy Psychiatrist Captain Paul S. Hammer, MD. In his presentation, titled Stress: The Ancient History of a Modern Problem, Captain Hammer will examine the prevalence of occupational stress and address the growing psychological health concerns among today's service men and women.Honoring Our Veterans will be held in the CSUSM Clarke Field House starting at 6:00 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Arts & Lectures, CSUSM Veterans Center, and USUAB Clarke Activities Team. For more information, visit http://www.csusm.edu/al.Female Veteran-Students Dialogue about LionessHosted by the ASI Women's Center at CSUSM, the award-winning documentary film, Lioness, which chronicles the lives of female combat veterans, will be screened on campus on Wednesday, November 10, at 7:00 p.m. Following the film, a discussion panel featuring active duty and veteran female students will share their experiences of military service while deployed in Iraq."It's important to understand the experience, service, and sacrifice of our female veterans who are coming home as combat veterans of foreign wars," shared CSUSM student and army veteran Kristine Wise. Wise, a junior majoring in Women's Studies, will be among the panel presenters, sharing her military experience as a female soldier stationed in Iraq. Enlisted in the U.S. Army as an automated logistical specialist, Wise was deployed in Iraq from May 2003 to January 2004.Directed by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, Lioness documents the story of a group of female Army support soldiers who were part of the first mission in American history to send women into direct ground combat battles, fighting in some of the bloodiest counterinsurgency battles of the Iraq war. Lioness makes public, for the first time, their hidden history and captures the emotional and psychological effects of war from a female point of view."Hearing the stories of female service members and veterans is important for this campus and the nation," added Lea Burgess-Carland, director of the ASI Women's Center. "Women make up 20 percent of the U.S. military, yet their experiences, voices, and service are often silenced. It is time that we celebrate all veterans - including women."Sponsored by the Women's Center and Veterans Center, the film screening and panel discussion will be held in Commons 206 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Women's Center at (760) 750-4998.