Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» in the News:Hub for veterans being sought at UF
September 7, 2012
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» student Adam Duggan served five years in the U.S. Army, receiving a Purple Heart after being injured by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
He now holds a work-study position in the college's Office of Veterans Affairs, helping students obtain the post-9/11 G.I. Bill and other benefits. He plans to transfer to the University of Florida next semester to seek a wildlife ecology and conservation degree.
"One of the reasons I entered the military is to pay for college, so I'm not going to squander that," said the 24-year-old Lakeland native.
When he arrives at UF, he'll find a growing student population of veterans but just a tiny office where they can speak with officials about benefits.
With the end of combat in Iraq and the draw-down of troops in Afghanistan, the number of college veterans has risen to a level not seen in decades.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» responded by hiring a veterans affairs director and plans to expand its veterans office in the coming months. Now UF veterans are calling for the university to follow the lead of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» and state universities that have established or plan new veteran centers.
Read the full article in the Gainesville Sun by Staff Writer Nathan Crabbe
