Serving Those Who Serve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rK43v5WWhk

UW-Milwaukee hosted its second annual “Serving those who serve us” breakfast Tuesday morning in the Wisconsin Room located in the Union.

The event was hosted by the Military and Veterans Resource Center, which coordinates various events for the veterans during veterans’ week. Nearly 100 people showed up and were served breakfast. Veterans and current military people of all ages attended the event and were clearly enjoying themselves.

The veterans were greeted and served by UWM’s Interim Chancellor Mark Mone. Also in attendance was Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Barrett addressed the veterans, thanking them for their service and also spent time explaining what the Military and Veterans Resource Center can provide for them.

Opened in 2012, the Military and Veteran Resource Center strives to alleviate the challenges faced by student veterans and looks to produce a 100 percent graduation rate.

UW-Milwaukee has more than 1,000 enrolled veterans and has the largest number of military personal and dependents in the state. Mike Trusca is the director of the veteran’s program and says the program was created at UWM for multiple reasons.

“We serve three primary purposes,” Trusca said. “Number one is serving our veteran students, number two educating the campus community about what veterans are and what that transition out of the military is like, and then number three and most importantly, being that safe spot for veterans on campus that veterans go to meet other veterans.”

In addition to over 1,000 veterans enrolled, UWM has over 400 dependents and spouses enrolled, six military benefit programs and three ROTC programs.

Mone views this program as the least the school can do for the veterans.

“It’s such an important thing for the campus to be able to engage and be able to support the veterans,” Mone said.

The event last two hours and veterans were able to come and go as they please. They were also able to eat as much as they wanted as they were treated to a buffet. The veterans sat around tables eating, laughing and catching up with other veterans. A few veterans even shared some stories from their time in the military.

The event was the first one of the week put on by the Military and Veterans Program. Other than the breakfast, the program hosts “Honoring our Heroes,” the Military experience, Brown Bag Lunch, a video game tournament and a few more.

Veterans and members of the MAVRC weren’t the only people in attendance Tuesday morning. Justin Seflow, a student at UWM, was also in attendance. “I saw a poster promoting the event in the union by their office, and I was in the union already so I decided just to stop by and see the event,” Seflow said. “It’s awesome to see UWM put on events like this during Veterans week because these people really deserve it.”