Military students face threat of deployment
Students enlisted in the military are facing the possibility of being deployed.
Some students being activated are struggling to finish their education. One such student is Angela Hall, a senior majoring in accounting and a senior airman.
Hall has been in the Utah Air National Guard for three years. She is apart of the 151st Security Forces and started attending Utah State University in the spring of 2000.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Hall was placed on active duty status in Salt Lake City and had to withdraw from all of her classes.
“I am happy I am able to do my part,” she said, “but I wasn’t expecting to be gone for a year and a half.”
Since her mobilization, Hall has been able to take USU Extension classes in Brigham City and Salt Lake City. The school refunded all of her money and bought her textbooks back for full price.
“The school was nice to work with, but it was frustrating to get through,” Hall said.
Hall would have graduated spring of this year, but because of changes in course requirements, she now has four semesters left.
“I feel like I am waiting for world leaders to decide when I will finish college,” she said. “The most important thing for students to do who are facing this problem is to be patient and don’t give up.”
Registrar Glenn Davis said students who are called up need to contact the school first and foremost.
The school understands in some cases the student might not get a chance to make contact, he said. In such cases, the school will be willing to work with a spouse or a parent.
“We certainly stand by any students who have been called to serve our country,” Davis said.
Maj. Rand Curtis of the USU ROTC, said a lot of people join the military for the good education benefits. It is a good academic and life plan, he said.
The ROTC wants recruits to see if they want to make the military a career, Curtis said.
“These guys are looking forward to getting a commission,” he said, “and doing the best job they can do.”
New recruits want the benefits but don’t realize they may be deployed so soon, Curtis said.
Master Sgt. Wayne S. Ormond, recruiter for the Utah Air National Guard, said recruiting is on the rise, because people want to be patriotic and see their neighbors being activated.
“They want to do their part,” he said. “Then on the other hand, you have people who have seen the next wave of activations, and they want to hold off a little bit. They want to get in for the education benefits but not for the deployments.”
The chance of being deployed is becoming more prevalent every year if not every month, Ormond said.
“The [students] have signed up for a chance to get their education paid for,” he said, “but also a chance to serve their country.”
Sgt. 1st Class Larell Cooke, Army ROTC, estimates roughly 20 percent of students in the military have either been deployed or placed on standby.
One student is Eric Wilkins, a sophomore majoring in Middle East studies.
Wilkins’ unit has been placed on standby. He must be ready at a moment’s notice.
“I support what the president is doing,” he said. “Force may be necessary.”
Wilkins has warned all of his teachers and the school, just in case something happens.
Students shouldn’t worry about what will happen if they are deployed, he said. They have legal rights. A student may have to drop a course but will be able to retake it when he returns.
“Nobody wants to go to war,” Wilkins said. “But I am ready if the time comes.”
–bbnichols@cc.usu.edu