By Michelle Hines, University Relations
About 270,666 students nationwide used the new G.I. Bill benefits in 2009-10.
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 8-31-10
GREENSBORO — Josh Green feels lucky. Although he spent five years as a military policeman, he was never deployed.
When he left the military, he earned an undergraduate degree from UNCG. Since 2006, he has worked in the Dean of Students’ Office.
And Green is not alone. Nationwide, 270,666 students used the new G.I. Bill benefits in 2009-10, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
“I’m very fortunate to be where I’m at,” says Green, whose mother served in the first Gulf War and whose brother was deployed to Afghanistan.
With the idea of helping other veterans get their bearings after completing their military service, Green is working with U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and others at UNCG to organize the first annual Veterans and Military Expo. It is the first such event to take place on a UNC system campus, Green says.
The Expo, which includes a panel discussion on veterans’ benefits and a resource fair, takes place Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1-4 p.m., in Elliott University Center (EUC). It is free and open to all veterans, their families and friends. Free parking is available at the Greensboro Coliseum with shuttle service to the university.
The panel discussion runs from 1-2 p.m. in the EUC Auditorium on the main floor. Hagan will introduce a four-person panel to talk about education, job readiness and other issues affecting veterans.
The resource fair runs from 2-4 p.m. in the Claxton, Alexander and Kirkland rooms on the lower floor of the EUC. Representatives will speak with veterans about health benefits, education benefits and other services.
Green worked with Dedrick Curtis from the Registrar’s Office; Mike Tarrant, special assistant to Chancellor Linda P. Brady for government relations; and Dr. Kristine Lundgren, a professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders; to plan the event.
“I hope the EUC is packed,” says Green, who wants to make the Expo a yearly happening and wants to see the idea spread to other campuses. “It’s just a really good thing to let our community, and our campus, know we really care.”
For details, contact Josh Green at (336) 334-5514 or jagreen@uncg.edu. Green suggests that veterans bring along their discharge papers so they can immediately apply for veterans’ benefits.
