JENNA JAUREGUI
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Most Americans remember exactly where they were when the towers fell in New York 10 years ago. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 became the Pearl Harbor of the millennial generation—America watched and listened in shock as the news coverage revealed the devastation and horror. On Sept. 12, 2011, the United States declared war, targeting the Afghanistan- based leader of the al-Quaeda militant group, Osama Bin Laden. Oct. 8, 2001 marked the beginning of President Bush’s “War on Terror.” A generation of fresh veterans was born from this decision as young people saw an opportunity to serve their country.
“I saw a need for medics,” Navy Corpsman Mark Mallare, a Cal State San Marcos student veteran and kinesiology major, said. “There were many opportunities in medicine after 9/11. There were so many trauma patients that needed to be cared for.”
Another opportunity that appealed to America’s new military recruits was the new GI Bill, which was revised after the 9/11 disaster to include more benefits for those who serve. Signed into law in July of 2008, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, or GI Bill 2.0, created a “new robust education benefits program rivaling the WWII era GI Bill of Rights,” according to an overview of the bill at military.com/education. The bill’s benefits apply to “servicemembers who have served on active duty for 90 or more days since Sept. 10, 2001,” and are “tiered based on the number of days served on active duty.”
Several revisions to this bill came into effect in August 2011. These revisions include full coverage of tuition and fees for those attending in-state public schools, including graduate training. In addition, Students may be reimbursed for national exams such as the SAT, as well as tests for licensing and certification. Some unfortunate changes include the end of “break pay,” which means students will not receive monthly payments for housing or other needs during semester breaks in the school term.
The Veterans Center at CSUSM (csusm.edu/outreach/Veterans- Services) exists to help student veterans understand how to obtain these benefits as well as offer a safe and friendly environment that promotes camaraderie between military branches. Mallare, who works in the Veterans Center, said he wanted to help people in the same way people helped him when he started at CSUSM.
“We give students peace of mind and assist students with their paperwork,” he said. The center offers computers, a friendly staff, and a television for students who just want to unwind and hang out. “We are also looking to start a lending library to help students with their textbook needs,” Amber Bouge, who also works in the Veterans Center, said.
Photo courtesy of CSUSM.edu