Liaison’s Ledger: The Military Community At Yale

Tuesday, July 18, 2017
When the Yale Veterans Network was formed it was clear that one need not be a U.S. Military veteran to join the organization or to participate in its activities.  Rather it was created as an affinity group since there are many people who are not veterans who are interested and engaged in issues relating to veterans.  Because of this we may need a broader term to refer to those who have not served.  The base of the group is broad.  Typically we think first of those who have family members on active duty or those who have had a family member die while serving the country – these are known as “Gold Star” families and they have special standing with all of us, but most especially with our veterans.   Others include those who have served in the military of other countries and those who work directly with veterans or the military on issues related to their service.  These include health care workers, offices of financial aid, and managers and co-workers who may be aware of a person’s status as veteran.  One other key group are the active duty military who are stationed at Yale.  This includes the members of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force who lead their respective Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) detachments.  From time to time we are also fortunate to have active duty Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard officers here who are engaged in specialized study at the Jackson Institute or the Graduate School or Professional Schools seeking advanced degrees.   We are also privileged to have internationally esteemed Faculty members who have unique knowledge of the military and its history who have actively worked to strengthen Yale links to United States military leaders.  As we broaden our activities we want to be sure that everyone knows they are welcome to participate and to celebrate the service of our veterans.  By its nature the YVN will be a diverse group and we need to be sure that we leverage that diversity to a create strong, effective, meaningful and welcoming environment for veterans at Yale.   Please do not hesitate to call me at 203.432.0879 with your questions and comments on how we might support those who have served.  
 
Contributor Contact:
Jack Beecher
Yale Veteran Liaison
203-432-0879
 
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