University of Alabama launches program to help student veterans

Published by Tuscaloosa News this week:

The University of Alabama launched a program Thursday that will help student veterans adjust to life on campus after serving in the military. The Veterans Education and Transition Support initiative will provide academic and personal support for veterans entering or re-entering college, including help with unresolved problems related to combat.

“This is really going to be revolutionary for veterans on campus,” said Ashkan Bayatpour, the founder of the Campus Veterans Association. “Now, the University of Alabama is making an active effort to reach out to veterans.”

To celebrate the new program, UA held a luncheon for campus veterans Thursday that featured an address by national veterans expert Floyd Meshad. Meshad touched on many of the issues facing veterans today and recalled his experience upon returning home to Alabama after Vietnam.

“Quite frankly, after Vietnam, I spent three or four months in and out of the VA. I needed to get the war out of my head,” Meshad said.

After moving to Los Angeles, Meshad started the Vietnam Veterans Re-Socialization Unit that focused on the readjustment problems of Vietnam veterans. He was also one of the first to study post-traumatic stress disorder and would go on to found the National Veterans Foundation.

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For information about the VETS initiative, visit www.vets.ua.edu or call 205-348-6770.