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SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — For military veterans, the adjustment to returning to civilian life after military service can be difficult.
The Shepherd University Student Veterans Organization is a student group that focuses on helping veterans adjust to life as college students.
Late last month the organization held one of its Veterans Coffee Breaks, an event held every two weeks on campus that provides student veterans with a chance to meet up.
According to Mary Beth Myers with Shepherd University's Office of Veterans Support Services, the meet-ups have been held outside on the Scarborough Library patio since the beginning of the semester, but the next meeting will be moved indoors due to colder weather approaching.
"We try to offer different things to support student veterans," Myers said. "The Coffee Break is one of them, and we're going to have a veterans appreciation week the week of Veterans Day with activities and speakers planned. I provide advisement to veterans and any support they may need while they're here on campus."
Chris Barnhart, a United States Marine Corps veteran who served from 1998 to 2002, is the president of the Shepherd University Student Veterans Organization. Barnhart said he spent part of his military career stationed in Japan, and finished it at Quantico, Virginia.
"I started (back at Shepherd) in the fall of 2012. This is my second go-around at Shepherd. I came back to school because I needed a career change. Since I've been back, I linked up with an individual who graduated and she and I saw the need for a veterans' organization, just like any other club. We started that and got it up and running, and participation is increasing," Barnhart said.
According to Barnhart, the group has approximately 25 active members, although he estimates approximately 200 students at Shepherd University are using some type of veterans' benefits to attend school.
"We have two different types of veterans' benefits available right now. There's the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which is the most well-known. Then, there's the Post 9-11 Bill, which is for veterans who served in the military after 9-11. That's a more advantageous bill for a lot of our students. If a veteran chose not to go to school, under that bill they can transfer the benefits to their child or their spouse," he said.
Barnhart said he knows of more than 80 veterans who attend Shepherd University, but many of them are not active in the Student Veterans Organization.
He said he is trying to contact Shepherd alumni who may be veterans, and increase interest and participation in the organization.
"We have a long way to go, and there are still a lot of things that we can work on and make better. I think if we keep pushing forward and we get our membership and involvement up on campus, we may have a stronger voice here for our men and women that we've got on campus," Barnhart said.
According to Barnhart, the Student Veterans Organization borrowed military flags from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg to place on the stage at the commencement ceremony. One of his goals is to raise enough money for the group to purchase its own flags.
In addition to the Veterans Day week activities Myers mentioned, Barnhart said there is an upcoming Military Appreciation football game on Nov. 15.
The Shepherd University Student Veterans Organization is a chapter of the Student Veterans of America.
For more information, email ShepherdUniversityStudentVets@gmail.com, follow the group on Twitter @SUVets or visit them on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1t4bGl3 .
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Information from: The Journal, http://journal-news.net/
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