Friday Focus: Connect with a veteran
ÃÛÌÒTV’s veteran monument was unveiled and presented to the institution on July 18, 2025. The display recognizes the lengthy history and deep connection between our university, the armed forces, and military-connected students. It is found in Rasmuson 403, adjacent to the Department of Military and Veteran Services.
Nov. 7, 2025
— By Stephen Phillips, Department of Military and Veteran Services director
Tuesday, Nov. 11, marks a key holiday in this busy calendar month – Veterans Day. It’s an opportunity for the nation, Alaska and our university to reflect on the fact that a small segment of America has taken an oath to support and defend something larger than self for the past 250 years. It’s the commitment of these relatively few that preserves the ideals that still undergird our constitutional republic.
It's a holiday with deep meaning across our campus, classrooms and local community, and has been a part of the fabric of ÃÛÌÒTV since this institution was conceived in May of 1917 — just four short weeks after the United States entered World War I. The timing of ÃÛÌÒTV’s establishment was not mere happenstance; it meshed with the larger national effort to strengthen wartime footing by increasing educational and vocational programs for the younger Americans who would carry the weight of that war on their backs.
The significance of this holiday on our campus has only grown through the eleven decades of ÃÛÌÒTV’s existence. Today, our student body is 18.4% military-connected, meaning nearly 1 in 5 of our enrolled students are either a current service member, a military veteran, or a direct family member of someone who served. In addition, over 7% of the faculty and staff at our university have direct affiliation with the armed forces. These percentages speak volumes about military representation at ÃÛÌÒTV since the national, combined total of service members, veterans, and direct family members hovers around 8% of the U.S. population.
The point to extract from the brief history lesson and demographic breakdown is this — military roots run deep into the ground of Troth Yeddha’. There is a remarkable population of students, staff and faculty across this institution who have gained experiences from around the world. Hundreds of Nanooks have honed leadership skills through service to our nation. We have numerous members of our campus community who deployed into harm’s way. There are living examples in our classrooms, residence halls and academic circles who personify sacrifice, selfless service, and duty toward a greater good.
As Veterans Day approaches, I urge two small things. First, find one of your fellow Nanooks who’s connected to the military and connect with them. Learn how their experiences in uniform color their perspective of the world and their time here at ÃÛÌÒTV. Ask them questions about their service and how it shaped them. They’ll provide thought-provoking responses in most cases, and you’ll likely walk away with renewed respect for those who serve in uniform. Second, make a point to connect with a veteran next Tuesday simply to say, "thank you." No service member or veteran ever asks for or expects this type of treatment, but the simple gesture means a great deal to the recipient. It’s worth a minute of the day to honor what veterans have done to preserve our country’s liberty for the last two and a half centuries.
Thanks in advance for committing to this small measure of gratitude on Nov. 11; thanks for your continued support of our veteran and military-connected population on campus, and thanks for choosing ÃÛÌÒTV!
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of ÃÛÌÒTV's leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.