THE REVEILLE
V O L U M E
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I S S U E
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A U G U S T
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GUESS WHO’S A REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR
STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
INSIDE...
By Allen Grundy
Post - 9/11
GI Bill
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What Is
Chapter 31?
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Events
Calendar
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CAPS
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Helping
Veterans
By Christopher Webb
What is Student Veterans of
America (SVA)? SVA is an organization initiated in January
2008 to assist veterans in the
development of student veteran
organizations at their respective
institutions, provide resources
for veterans, and serve as an
advocacy organization for stu-
dent veteran issues at the state
and national levels. On June 1113 in Washington DC, studentveterans from more than 50
campuses gathered to attend
the first annual Student Veterans of America national conference which I attended to represent the University of Houston.
Honored guests included Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Congressman Harry Mitchell (DAZ),
and
Congresswoman
Ginny Brown White (R-FL).
They spoke at the conference
in support of a bill which has
since passed in the legislature
and is now law, the 21st century
GI Bill known as the “Post 9/11
New GI Bill.” At this meeting,
elections were held and five
Regional Directors of this national
organization
were
elected. As a newly elected
Regional Director of the South
Central Region, I oversee ten
states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska,
Kansas,
Wyoming,
Colorado, Louisiana, and New
Mexico. Our purpose of this
Washington conference was
best stated by Derek Blumke,
President of SVA and a University of Michigan student. “The
student-veterans who came to
Washington didn’t care about
partisan politics. They came to
unite and work toward making
a better life for themselves and
their families through education.”
STUDENTS REPRESENT UH VETERANS AT AMERICAN
COUNCIL OF EDUCATORS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
On June 5 and 6, the
American Council on Education (ACE) hosted a conference on higher education and
veterans of the U. S. Armed
Forces, titled “Serving Those
Who Served.”
This event
helped to show administrators
of colleges and universities the
importance of acknowledging
their student veteran populations in the different facets of
education: financial aid, psychological services and others. In
attendance were many administrators as well as studentveterans. Representing the
University of Houston were
Allen Grundy, program manager
of the Veterans’ Services Office;
Amariee Collins, biology major
and student-veteran; and Chris
Webb, political science major
and student-veteran.
During the two-day conference, there was a wealth of
information given on a wide
variety of topics by professionals in the fields of education and
veterans’ affairs. The keynote
speaker for June 5 was Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel.
An Army veteran himself, Sena-
tor Hagel stressed the need for
the passage of the S22, or G.I.
Bill for the 21st Century. He
also praised those veterans who
do take advantage of their educational benefits and encouraged schools to realize the importance and value of their
student veteran populations.
Later in the day, a panel
discussion including Derek
Blumke, president of Student
Veterans of America, and three
other student-veterans, talked
about the importance of support from school administrators
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POST - 9/11 GI BILL
When will the Post-9/11 GI
Bill become effective?
The new benefits are payable for training pursued
on or after August 1, 2009.
How can I apply for the
Post-9/11 GI Bill?
The
Dept. of Veterans Affairs is
currently NOT accepting
applications for the new
bill. Information will be
posted on its website as it
becomes available.
Can I transfer benefits to
my dependents? If you
The goal is to
help provide the
veterans
with
“ s u i t a b l e
employment that is
consistent
with
their aptitudes and
interests,”
while
a c h i e v i n g
independence
in
their daily living.
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program is
authorized by Congress
under Title 38, Code of
Federal Regulations,
Chapter 31. The primary
benefit program for
VR&E is vocational rehabilitation service for veterans who have a service-connected disability.
According to the program’s website, in order
to use these services a
veteran must be found to
be both eligible and entitled. The Veterans Administration makes this
determination through a
veterans counselor. The
goal is to help provide
are a member of the
Armed Forces on August
1, 2009, the Dept. of Defense (DoD) may offer you
the opportunity to transfer
benefits to your spouse or
dependent children. DoD
and the military services
will issue policy on use of
transferability in the coming months.
I did not contribute $1200
to the GI Bill. Can I still get
the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
Yes, you will be eligible if
you meet the service requirements for the Post-
9/11 GI Bill, even if you did
not contribute to the Montgomery GI Bill.
What should serviceconnected disabled use,
the Post-9/11 GI Bill or
Vocational Rehabilitation?
If you are eligible for both
the Post-9/11 GI Bill and
Vocational Rehabilitation
and Employment (Chapter
31), you should speak with
your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to determine which benefit is most
beneficial to your situation.
the veterans with
“suitable employment
that is consistent with
their aptitudes and interests,” while achieving
independence in their
daily living.
birth defects.
VR&E also provides
educational and vocational counseling to assist
veterans with selection
of a career goal or the
selection of an educational institution consistent with a career goal.
In specific circumstances,
the program also provides educational and
vocational counseling
benefits for eligible dependent children who
were born with certain
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/
vre/index.htm
If you would like more
detailed information about
your eligibility for Chapter
31, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
Program, go to
or call a Veterans Administration Regional Office.
1-800-827-1000 Houston
1-888-GI-BILL-1 or
1-888-442-4551
STUDENTS REPRESENT UH VETERANS
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Cont’d From Page 1
when dealing with studentveterans, especially those veterans wounded in combat. Brigadier General Steven Xenakis,
M.D., ended the day’s presentations with a talk titled “Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder/
Traumatic Brain Injury Myths and
Realities,” where he called upon
all schools to ensure they have
the properly qualified personnel
to take care of those veterans
with these types of issues.
On the final day, some notable speakers included Marine
Corps Major General Mike
Lehnert, commander of Marine
Corps West, and Stephen We-
ber, president of San Diego State
University. SDSU recently completed construction on its Veterans’ Center that will provide
services to its student-veterans.
There was also a luncheon
where student-veterans and college administrators mingled and
discussed veteran-specific issues.
It was informative and interesting
for all involved.
The highlight of the entire
event was the keynote speech by
Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.
He is a highly decorated Army
veteran from World War II and
was in the heroic 442nd Regimen-
tal Combat Team. He told the
story of how he enlisted after the
attack on Pearl Harbor and almost didn’t get to serve due to
the widespread anti-Japanese
sentiment in the U. S. during that
time. He is a true American hero
and has served his country dutifully for over 60 years.
Thanks to the generosity of
ACE, many of the participants’
airfare and hotel expense were
paid by the organization. They
should be thanked and applauded
for hosting this summit and bringing awareness to the important
issue of providing a quality education to our nation’s veterans.
He is a highly
decorated
Army
veteran from World
War II and was in the
heroic
442nd
Regimental Combat
Team.
Events Calendar
September 13
September 16
Free Veterans Resource
Fair and Housing Seminar
Primed for Success Supplier Performance
Workshop for Veterans
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
UH University Center
Room: Cougar Den
November 5
Fourth Annual
Veterans’ Business Seminar
“Entrepreneurship and the 21st
Century Veteran”
UH SBDC, 2302 Fannin, Ste.200 8:00 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Houston, Texas 77002
Details to be announced
CAPS HELPING VETERANS
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is
eager to help veterans. We
offer free individual counseling for up to 10 sessions
as well as couples and
group counseling. We also
can consult with organizations or departments, do
testing for Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,
and can be reached for crisis intervention twenty-four
hours a day. We also do
career testing and counsel-
ing.
Typical concerns of our
students, including veterans, are anxiety, depression, and interpersonal relationships. Returning veterans may also be dealing
with trauma for which
CAPS is prepared. In severe cases, we may make
referrals to the Houston
Veterans Administration
Hospital.
There is no stigma in
seeking services. Everyone
has problems from time to
time, and it is always a good
idea to have a good listener
with expertise in human
relationships to help with
your concerns. We can be
reached at (713) 743-5454
and are located in Room
226 Student Services Center 1.
By Ken Waldman, Ph.D.
Director, CAPS
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-3026
Ken Waldman
WHAT WE OFFER
OUR UH VETERANS
A Publication Of
•
•
•
•
268 University Center
Houston, Texas 77204-4024
•
Phone: 713-743-5490
Fax: 713-743-0680
•
www.uh.edu/veterans
vets@mail.uh.edu
•
Assistance through the admissions
process, including financial aid
and class registration
Referrals for credit evaluation of
military training
Referrals for VA health benefits.
Assistance with transition and adjustment to civilian life
Unlimited, free access to computers, local telephone calls, and
facsimile transmittals
200 photocopies and computer
print-outs per month
A quiet study room
Program Manager:
The Reveille is published three times each
year in April, August, and December. The
editor reserves the right to select and edit
articles for publication. Send comments
regarding
this
newsletter
to
vets@mail.uh.edu.
Allen Grundy
713-743-5493
agrundy@uh.edu
Editor: Sandra Glass
Graduating Veterans
We’d like to help you celebrate this milestone in your
life. If you’re graduating this
semester, let us know so that
we can recognize you in the
next issue of The Reveille. In
addition, do you have words
of wisdom that you’d like to
pass on to the studentveterans you are leaving behind? If so, let us know in
300 words or less. Suggested
topics:
•
If I Knew Then What I
Know Now
•
What I Learned in the Military That Has Helped in
College or Civilian Life
•
How the UH Veterans’
Services Office Has Assisted Me
Keep in touch with the VSO
after graduation. We’d like to
know how you’re progressing
with your career so that we
can spotlight your successes
and use them to encourage
others.
To be considered for inclusion
in the next issue, submit article
at least three weeks prior to the
first day of the scheduled publication month. Article should be
in MS Word format and sent to
the Veterans’ Services Office email address.
Timothy Binion
Sam Anderson