After hearing recommendations from a military task force, Iowa State recently opened a brand new Veteran’s Resource Center on the third floor of the Memorial Union.

Jathan Chicoine took on the role of Veterans Services Coordinator.

“It’s a real honor and privilege to serve in this way,” Chicoine said. Chicoine believes building a veterans resource center is a huge accomplishment for Iowa State.

Chance Stabb, freshman in agricultural business and a marine corps veteran, said he was shocked that this is the first year for the Veteran’s Resource Center.

For Stabb, the veteran’s center provides him a quiet place to study.

“It’s a quiet place, you know, a lot quieter than the library,” Stabb said.

Not only that, but Stabb said the center provides a place for veterans to come, talk, and be themselves.

“If someone’s having a bad day, we can talk about it because we can relate,” Stabb said. “It’s a pretty relaxed environment, there’s no stress here. … I can talk to other vets about things I can’t talk to my other friends or family about, because they just don’t get it. … But other veterans do, so we’re here for each other.”

The mission of the Veteran’s Resource Center is to strengthen the lives of veterans, military personnel, their families and the community; it provides not only a physical space but also a community for support.

Chicoine said it’s a place where veterans can connect with one another but also a space that can provide opportunities for those who feel “removed” from veterans issues to connect in ways that might create deeper empathy and understanding.

“It’s more than just a physical space,” Chicoine said. “It’s a space where we can consolidate information about benefits and resources available, but also serve as a point of contact for veterans and family members for navigating a university system.”

Chicoine said one of his goals is to serve as a bridge between “military language” and “university language.” He said that coming from a military setting to a university setting can be overwhelming to a veteran.

In the military, learning is a hand-on experience, which is often times different from the university’s style of classroom learning, providing an area for needed support for veterans.

“I will listen to the needs of our student veterans, military personnel and their families, and look at areas we can best support them,” Chicoine said, He also said it takes a collaborative effort from all to support veterans.

Chicoine said one of the most important things the space can provide is a place to connect with one another, which will develop “peer-to-peer support.” Building relationships are extremely important to veterans, Chicoine said, because it builds that sense of camaraderie to which veterans are accustomed.

Stabb said the military is like one big family, there to support one another. He said the door is always open at the Veteran’s Resource Center, before jokingly saying he wasn’t sure if the door could even shut. 

“I’d like to see the [Veteran’s Resource Center] grow and move forward,” Stabb said. 

Chicoine said the center is emerging now and will only continue to grow, but right now the most important thing to do is create a space to connect with one another.

“In every culture across the world, there are veterans,” Chicoine said. “They are an essential part of culture. … Veterans really are everywhere: They often become natural leaders of families, communities and nations — my question for you, is what’s your connection?”