Service to Success: How ETSU assists veterans

ETSU is passionate about serving veterans 

Military Friendly®

After almost 12 years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps, Jake Berens wanted to pursue a career in medicine.

The health sciences major, now the president of the ETSU Student Veterans of America, started classes at ETSU in January 2022.

“The Office of Military and Veteran Services at ETSU consists of an incredible team of veterans whose passion has been instrumental in improving the veteran and military-affiliated student experience on campus,” he said. “The work that this office does is remarkable, and the value is impossible to measure for the students they serve. The office staff serve as advocates, advisers, VA education experts, coaches and community representatives, and they fill all of those roles above and beyond what is expected of them.” 

He added: “Working with the Office of Military and Veteran Services to build a military-affiliated student community on campus has been remarkable. They serve as an absolute catalyst for the efforts of the Student Veterans of America at ETSU as well as the rest of our student population.”  

Contact Military and Veterans Services

Experiences like that have helped ETSU secure the Military Friendly® School designation for the 13th consecutive year. It is a notable honor that institutions earn through public data analysis and responses from surveys. 

ETSU moved up on this list this year, too, shifting from bronze to silver, the second-highest designation available.

Home to hundreds of veterans and military-affiliated students, including military spouses, ETSU takes considerable steps to aid those who served in uniform.  

They receive priority registration for classes each semester, get exclusive access to social and study space at ETSU’s Military-Affiliated Student Resource Center, receive membership in the ETSU chapter of the Student Veterans of America and get consistent personalized support from Military and Veteran Services.

Work-study positions for those using GI Bill® benefits, scholarships and out-of-state tuition waivers are also an option. 

“This is a tremendous honor that ETSU has worked hard to earn,” said Dan Bishop, director of Military and Veteran Services. “Still, I don’t want us to get complacent. We have a great tradition at this university of producing servant leaders, and I want to see that continue.”  

Supporting veterans in the community 

ETSU proudly supports STRIVE, a free entrepreneurship training program for veterans, reserve and National Guard members.

ETSU is the second institution in the nation to host a STRIVE program thanks to a partnership with Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, also known as IVMF.

“Helping those who have or are currently serving our country is an incredible honor,” said ETSU’s Mark Bays, director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. “Nationwide, IVMF has assisted more than 70,000 veteran entrepreneurs, and we are proud to help that same group here in the Appalachian Highlands.” 

The program teaches participants how to launch a business. Following completion of STRIVE, graduates receive post-program support from the national IVMF network.  

Consisting of online coursework and evening meetings, the class takes place on the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home. The program is free and lasts eight weeks.

“ETSU has so many wonderful faculty and staff who are proud to assist our veterans,” said Dr. Bill Heise, professor of practice in the Department of Management and Marketing. “The STRIVE curriculum is exceptional, and we encourage those interested to consider applying for the program.”

Leadership vision 

When now-retired Colonel Dan Bishop received orders to leave Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and journey to Johnson City, he and his wife couldn’t locate the northeast Tennessee city on a map. 

The Army veteran ran East Tennessee State University’s ROTC program from 2012-2014. He liked what he saw, on campus and off. 

“We had a wonderful time here,” Bishop said. “The people are friendly, the mountains are beautiful and the university was, and still is, very supportive of the military community. We always thought we might come back here when I left active duty.”

Named the new director of ETSU’s Military and Veteran Services in early 2022, Bishop has a corner office in Yoakley Hall that overlooks University Commons, a green space created in 2021.  

He has many goals for the office he now leads.  

There’s the day-to-day, basic “blocking and tackling” aspect of the job, Bishop said. That means ensuring that ETSU’s military-affiliated students receive the benefits they have earned to pursue their educational goals.  

“Coordinator David Haselroth does a fantastic job of navigating the federal bureaucracy and making that magic happen,” he said. 

“I think more importantly, we have a critical role in ensuring the physical and mental well-being of our military-affiliated community,” he said. “Each student faces challenges as they transition to college life, but veterans can face unique challenges as they transition out of military service and look to reintegrate with the civilian population.” 

His office should play a critical role in fostering and maintaining relationships with an array of veterans-related organizations across the region, he said, as well as with the National Guard and Reserve units in the area.  

“One specific area we look to improve is increasing the number of active duty service men and women who are predominantly taking online courses in pursuit of a degree,” he said. “It’s the perfect time to pursue this alongside the broader ETSU efforts to compete nationally, and increase opportunities for prospective students to pursue a degree online.”   

Bishop and his office are proud that ETSU has been awarded the Military Friendly® School designation each year for more than a decade. A prestigious honor, institutions that earn these designations are evaluated using both public data sources and responses from surveys.  

“You are not just a number here. ETSU has all the traditional experiences you can enjoy on a larger campus, but with personalized care and attention,” he said. “It is also convenient to have one of the best Veterans Administration medical facilities alongside our own medical school for those veterans who are dealing with injuries suffered in the line of duty. The Johnson City region also happens to be one of the most patriotic places I’ve ever been, and there is a history of service that is celebrated.” 

He added: “The support network here is second to none. From President (Brian) Noland all the way down the chain, there is a culture that looks to enable student success in and out of the classroom.” 

For more information about Veterans Affairs at ETSU, visit etsu.edu/veterans.

Honoring their memory

ETSU seeks to honor veterans regularly, and that includes on Memorial Day, which has its roots as a day of remembrance for those who have died during United States military service.  

In the decades following, communities, cities and states began observing the event.

Now a federal holiday, Memorial Day sees scores of Americans visit cemeteries and memorials, usually placing an American flag at gravesites.  

In that spirit, ETSU looks back at former students who gave their lives in service of their country. These veterans are part of the storied history of ROTC at ETSU, now celebrating 70 years of service to the region and country.  

Here are the veterans, listed in order of their passing:  

• Capt. Alvin K. Broyles: Born in Limestone, Broyles graduated from Science Hill High School and lived most of his life in Johnson City. He died in the Vinh Long Province in Vietnam on April 28, 1965. He served as a military adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and became the first Washington County resident to die in Vietnam.   
• Capt. Donald J. Fillers: Fillers was born in Greene County in 1939 before attending East Tennessee State College. He died in a helicopter collision near Bien Hoa in Vietnam on May 28, 1965. He is buried in the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Greeneville.  
• Capt. Eugene D. Franklin: Born in Bristol, Tennessee, and an alumnus of Tennessee High School, Franklin graduated from East Tennessee State College in 1955. Only 11 days into his service, he was injured in an attack and earned his first Purple Heart. He was killed in an ambush attack in Vietnam on June 24, 1965.   
• Maj. Billy J. Nave: A native of Johnson City and graduate of Science Hill High School, Nave died in a plane crash at the now-closed Tuy Hoa airbase in Vietnam on June 27, 1966. A member of the East Tennessee State College class of 1955, he majored in history and literature, served as vice president of the Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity in 1954 and completed ROTC training.  
• 1st Lt. Douglas L. Jones: Growing up in Erwin, Jones was born in 1941. He attended East Tennessee State College before joining the Army. He died on Oct. 12, 1966, in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. He is buried in Unicoi County.  
• Capt. Gordon O. Walsh: A Johnson City native, Walsh was born in 1940 and graduated from ETSU. He died in a plane crash on April 16, 1967, in South Vietnam. While at ETSU, he was a leader in the ROTC program.  
• 1st Lt. Daniel L. Mullins: Hailing from Wise County, Virginia, Mullins was born in 1943 and attended ETSU. He died on Aug. 31, 1967, in South Vietnam following a mine explosion. He is buried in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.  
• Capt. James E. Reed: Born in Kingsport, Reed graduated from Lynn View High School and attended ETSU, lettering in track and field. He died on Feb. 1, 1969, during a heavy artillery attack in Vietnam. Referred to by those whom he served as “the best loved CO in Vietnam,” he is buried in Kingsport. 
• 1st Lt. James D. Dugger: A native of Pennsylvania, Dugger graduated from ETSU in 1969 and served as commander of the ROTC battalion at the university. He died on October 16, 1972, after helping rescue American soldiers injured in Vietnam. He is buried in Elizabethton.  
• Capt. Daniel E. Graybeal: A Tennessee native and graduate of Happy Valley High School, Graybeal earned a degree in criminal justice from ETSU. He died on Feb. 27, 1991, after his aircraft was hit by enemy fire. He and others had volunteered to rescue 12 seriously wounded soldiers from Iraq. Graybeal is buried at Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City.  

Service is embedded in their DNA

In early May 2023, 11 cadets at ETSU received their commission as second lieutenants. Hailing from across the Southeast, these recent ETSU graduates joined a proud tradition – one that has been happening on campus for 70 years.

The year 2023 marked seven decades since what was then East Tennessee State College held its first commissioning ceremony in 1953.

“As we consider the past 70 years, ETSU’s Army ROTC program has not just been a source of outstanding officers for the United States military,” said Lt. Col. Kent Monas, a professor of military science at ETSU. “The program has also been a successful academic department, housed within the College of Business and Technology, and an excellent contributor to ETSU and the region.”

The story of the university’s ROTC program is one of achievement and, especially early on, considerable perseverance. 

The United States established the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps through the National Defense Act in 1916. The goal: train men on college campuses for commissioning into the military. But for East Tennessee College, and many other programs throughout the country, the task was not easy.

In 1950, then-college president Dr. Burgin Dossett received an invitation to an ROTC conference at Georgia Tech. The start of the Korean War nixed the conference, but Dossett pushed hard to see a program established in Johnson City.

The path wasn’t easy, and East Tennessee College faced rejection early on. Finally, an application was accepted, and the U.S. Army assigned a unit to the school on May 12, 1952. The program became mandatory for all physically qualified male freshmen, and, a year later, the college held its first commissioning ceremony.

Over the decades, ETSU has produced scores of men and women who have seen combat. A total of 11 graduates became generals in the Army, and 10 gave their lives in active duty, nine in Vietnam and one in Desert Storm.

Since 1953, the ROTC unit has commissioned more than 1,500 second lieutenants.

 “Today’s battalion cadets continue to train and prepare for challenging careers in the service of our nation, while the skills they develop in ROTC allow our alumni to be successful as Army officers and civilian leaders,” said Monas. “Building on a strong tradition of excellence and continued growth in cadet numbers, the future looks bright for ETSU Army ROTC.”

Finances, offices to help, and more

• 
  Counselors with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships can answer a range of specific questions about the benefits available to veterans. From information about the GI Bill® to educational assistance for dependents of veterans, reach out to a counselor today to learn more.
• The Military and Veteran Services office is an incredible resource for veterans and their families. That includes access to the Military Affiliated Student Resource Center, also known as the MARC, on the ground floor of Yoakley Hall. You have 24/7 access to unlimited printed, snacks, coffee, a study room, and more. Contact the office via email or call (423) 439-6819 today.
• Located across from ETSU’s main campus is the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. Their deeply experienced health care teams support veterans, their families, and caregivers. Make an appointment, view full health services, and more here.