On November 8, 2023, UMKC Bridging the Civil-Military Divide hosted a Veterans Roundtable from noon - 1:30pm in Scofield Hall, Room 109.
What, if anything, do civilians owe to returning military veterans? The words “Thank you for your service” are ubiquitous – but to some military veterans they ring hollow at best and at worst may leave the veteran feeling more isolated or misunderstood. What then can or should civilians do to make space for military veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life? A panel of four military veterans discuss their reintegration experiences and what they want civilians to know about service members and veterans. Pizza provided by the Department of History and the Department of Political Science and Philosophy.
Panelists:
Matthew Briggs served as a rifleman in the United States Marine Corps from 2015 to 2021. Currently Matt is studying at UMKC for his bachelor's in mechanical engineering and working with his wife to saving enough money to build a cat retirement home.
Andrea Guzman served as an Intelligence Analyst in the United States Air Force from 2010-2014. She went from being Active Duty to a military dependent as her husband also served in the Air Force and has since retired. She is currently working on starting up her photography business and is considering returning to school to further her education.
Stephen Meyers retired from the U.S. Army in 2016 at the age of 40 after 22 years of service. He is passionate about improving his community. During the pandemic he raised awareness of PTSD by walking from Kansas City up to Indianapolis, Indiana and then down to Jacksonville, Florida.
Lucia Brazier-O'Bannion served in the U.S. Navy and is currently working on IT certifications to enter the Cybersecurity field.
In Partnership with:
