By Cristian Emanuel Rivera Tapia
Special to In Motion
Every year around 200,000 service members leave the armed forces and rejoin the civilian population as veterans. This transition is one of the most difficult times for those who have served. Going from a regimented and strict lifestyle to one with much more personal freedom — and what some consider the lack of an efficient veteran’s affairs system — leads to many veterans dropping almost immediately into economic and psychological hardship after their discharge.
Daytona State College has a large population of students who served in the military and thankfully, the DSC administration is accommodating those students. In fact, Daytona State was ranked by U.S. News & World Reports as having the second-best online program for veterans out of more than 700 colleges and universities.
Joshua Collins, who served as a Lightweight Vehicle Mechanic for the Army from 2011 to 2015, said one of the biggest difficulties he faced in returning from service was the “lack of standards” set by civilian society.
“Nothing was set anymore, it was all on me,” said Collins, adding that his classmates were difficult to deal with not only because of their young age, but also their lack of discipline. “In the military no one talks or gets distracted during class.”
Many veterans echo the same sentiment. To them even the idea of not paying attention in class is appalling. Collins emphasized that for veterans now entering college again, it is important to visit the campus Veterans Center well before classes start, so that all potential benefits and scholarships can be taken care of before the start of the semester. That way, he said, they can focus on classes without having to worry. The Veteran’s Center is located in building 130, room 124 of the Daytona campus and the center’s Coordinator, John Darnell, can be reached at 386-506-3065.
Another factor facing returning veterans is the age at which many enlist. The average age of enlistment for an active duty soldier from the Army was 21 years old for 2013. This, coupled with the average 4-year length of active duty, means most veterans who have spent almost 60 percent of their adult life in the military.
Joshua Mulheron enlisted in the Marines at age 19 and was a Motor Transport Operator for four years. Mulheron attributes his success outside of the military to using all of the training and tools provided by the military to ensure the transition back to civilian life would be as easy as possible. Mulheron highlighted how important it was to plan the transition early, saying that he began planning before he was even accepted into the military. The “Transition Assistance Program” consists of a series of classes that educate soldiers who are near the end of their service on things such as resume building and benefits. The TAPs program is, unfortunately, only available to currently active-duty members of the military, underscoring the importance of planning ahead. Mulheron said TAP was incredibly helpful to him.
The general consensus among local veterans is that while the transition period can be overwhelming and difficult, it is certainly not impossible. Through focused and early planning, coupled with the use of all the tools at their disposal such as TAP and local veterans centers, re-integration into civilian life can be successful and fulfilling.