By Megan McGinley

Sometimes it all comes back to Muller Pereira. When he’s walking down the street, sitting on the subway, or attending his classes at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, his mind is still running in Iraq.

“Sometimes, when I’m in the classroom or on the subway, I go back to Iraq and I get all pumped up,” he said. “And sometimes I do get caught up in the rush, you know, you’re walking down the street and you’re walking fast for no reason. It’s like time is so valuable, but valuable for what? To go home to watch T.V.? To check your Facebook?”

Pereira, who lives in Jamaica, Queens, joined the U.S. Army in January 2004. At 22, he had already attempted to pursue a degree in electrical engineering from City College and another in computer programming from BMCC. But neither field interested him much. He was inspired to enlist after a fellow student veteran in his math class at BMCC told him he should serve his country.

“I don’t know, but that just really stuck with me. I really wanted to join after high school, but I never had the guts,” Pereira said.

In 2006, he was deployed to Iraq and spent 15 months in what he calls the “wild wild west.” Then, in the spring of 2008, Pereira decided to trade in his combat boots – temporarily; he’s still in the Reserves - for a college I.D. and re-enrolled in BMCC to study business.

Pereira is one of thousands of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans who have returned home to pursue a degree. In New York City, an estimated 10,000 veterans will return within the next year. The City University of New York, which has 3,000 veterans in its 23 campuses, has stepped up to the plate in an attempt to foster the growth of its blossoming culture of student veterans. In December, Military Advanced Education magazine named CUNY’s B.A. program, which allows students to study across campuses and to form their own majors, one of the top military-friendly degree programs in the country.

CUNY’s affordability coupled with its efforts at easing the transition from military to civilian and student life make the nation’s largest urban public university system an attractive choice for many returning veterans. Its growing network of support services is among the best resources available for student veterans.

“I think the whole package that CUNY has to offer makes it a great place for veterans,” said Tom Popowich, a Navy veteran and current community organizer intern with the Project for Return and Opportunity in Veterans Education Program, or PROVE. “The price, the environment, even the anti-war people are usually very friendly to the veterans.”

PROVE was launched in the fall 2008 semester at the Hunter College School of Social Work as a way to improve the experience of student veterans as they transition from military to civilian life. The program includes a mix of mentoring, mental health services, outreach efforts and career advisement. It is active at four campuses – Lehman, Hunter College, John Jay, and BMCC – and there are plans to spread to all 23 campuses.

In his work with program, Popowich connects with student veterans across CUNY to evaluate and improve the services and experience for this unique group of students.

Currently, he is focused on the Workforce Development Initiative, which pairs veterans with mentors to help the students identify career goals. He hosts workshops, and provides other outreach and career-oriented support services.

“As a community organizer, I want to know, ‘What is it you guys want?’ If I can do it, I’m going to get it done for them,” Popowich said.

Popowich and the rest of the organizing team are preparing a series of workshops to help student veterans with resume writing, career advisement, job search, and interviewing tips.

“I spoke with a Marine today who told me he finally spoke to a veteran coordinator to enroll in classes. But, before he made that step, all he was interested in was partying and being free. They all do that when they come back,” Popowich says. “When you’re discharged, there are just so many resources, it’s overwhelming. So, if we can help condense, filter, and make that material easier to access and understand, we’ve accomplished something.”

In addition to PROVE, many campuses have their own student veteran clubs. Campuses are also redirecting their resources to start their own veteran programs.

At LaGuardia Community College, for example, the Veterans Upward Bound Program is designed to help veterans hone their academic skills and pursue a college degree. LaGuardia is one of 39 colleges across the country that offers this program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Jennifer Pastor, assistant professor of social science at BMCC and faculty advisor of the Organization of Student Veterans, said certain campuses are better equipped to serve the needs of their diverse array of students.

“I find that community colleges are much more student-oriented and therefore better at recognizing problems and then pulling resources to address them,” Pastor said. “Four-year schools are more geared towards academics. So, if student veterans attend four-year schools, they are often absorbed into our culture and don’t have as much support.”

For over sixty years, the U.S. government has helped veterans obtain a college education through the G.I. Bill. Established in 1944 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act - later known as the Montgomery G.I. Bill - provided veterans with a monthly benefit for tuition, books, fees, and other living expenses.

On Aug. 1, however, soldiers who began serving after September 11, 2001, including National Guard and Reserve members, will be eligible for more expansive benefits.

The New G.I. Bill, which was spearheaded by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va..), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), was signed into law by President George W. Bush on June 30. It bases benefits on length of service and disability status. The minimum benefit covers 40 percent of tuition. In addition, the cost of attendance at private schools will be covered for the equivalence of the most expensive in-state public institution.

“I haven’t used the G.I. Bill yet, but I would really like to go to NYU after BMCC and use my G.I. Bill,” said BMCC student Pereira. “But, if not I’ll go to Baruch and stay in CUNY. I really want to spend the money that I’ll be getting, though, so I kind of want to go to a private college.”

In addition to the New G.I. Bill, local veterans interested in attending college were attracted to CUNY schools after the 2009 state budget allocated CUNY new tuition benefits, making tuition practically free for veterans.

Under the Veterans Tuition Awards, veterans enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs in the 2008-2009 academic year were granted awards worth the lesser of the two options: 98 percent of tuition or $4,287.50.

Aubrey Arcangel is fueled by Red Bull and coffee. He attends City College full-time, is the vice-president of the student veterans club on campus and is the New York City director of the Student Veterans of America, an advocacy organization.

He’s used to the hectic lifestyle. In Iraq, he served in the Third Infantry in the Army. He was responsible for security detail for the battalion commander, humanitarian missions, and providing a secure Internet connection for upper brass commanders to communicate with each other.

“My mom never pictured me going into the military. Being a physician, she wanted me to continue school. But, I felt this was something I needed to do. I wanted to be different from my peers, as well. I’m an adrenaline junky,” Arcangel said.

When he was released from the Army, Arcangel was eager to attend college. However, since he was released in mid-September of 2006, he missed the fall registration deadline.

“I was disappointed, but it gave me time to adjust to civilian life, which I needed,” Arcangel said.

Arcangel graduated from BMCC with an associate’s degree, and then enrolled in City College, where he is pursuing a degree in political science.

“Community colleges are really where the rubber meets the road. Most veterans start out at community colleges since they don’t want to overwhelm themselves after having been out of school for so long,” Arcangel said.

Like most veterans, Arcangel struggled with adjusting to civilian life when he started classes at BMCC.

“At first, it was a very large culture shock. One of my first classes, I was sitting next to an 18-year-old girl who was talking about ‘The Real World’ and I just couldn’t relate to her,” Arcangel said. “I found that I pay more attention to current and world events than watching ‘American Idol.’ So, it did take some time to connect with people on an intimate level.”

As Pastor said, “Getting used to the chaos of civilian life, I think, is one of the biggest challenges for student veterans. From what I hear from student veterans, civilians are sloppy, lackadaisical and unfocused. Their world is extremely regimented. You have no choice. So, coming back to the civilian world is an incredibly big adjustment.”

At times, the readjustment period is so difficult that veterans return to the military in an effort to reclaim the normalcy and comfort of military life. Through outlets such as veterans clubs on campuses, CUNY is offering these students a way to reconnect to civilian life while interacting with others who understand their struggle to readjust.

“Sometimes you deal with a situation and you don’t know how to handle it. Like, in the Army, you have strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses – that’s when your buddy comes in. That’s why we look out for each other [in the Army],” Pereira said. “And the club [Organization of Military Veterans] kind of watches out for you too.”

According to Pastor, student veterans stand out in the classroom in subtle ways, despite their attempts to blend into the background.

“In the classroom, a student veteran will almost never admit he is a veteran. They usually like to stay incognito, since they’re not sure how people will react,” Pastor said. “But I can always spot them: they usually have a different level of attention. They’re not likely to slouch or fall asleep in class. They value their education and often get frustrated with the juvenile behavior that sometimes surrounds them.”

Often, many student veterans find themselves missing the urgency and camaraderie of military life.

“You come from an environment where you had to make life and death decisions all the time to being a civilian, where decisions aren’t as black and white. There’s a lot of gray,” Arcangel said. “In Iraq, you watch your buddy’s back or he’s dead. You don’t do that here.”

For some, the transition to civilian life is plagued with more than just readjustment issues. Many Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans are afflicted with both physical and mental wounds, including brain injuries and anxiety disorders.

In fact, a study conducted by the Army’s Mental Health Advisory Team on Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2007 found that nearly 18 percent of Iraq veterans suffer with some kind of physical damage to the brain. The most common damage among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is traumatic brain injury. This type of injury occurs after sudden and blunt trauma hits the head. Symptoms of this injury include loss of consciousness, blurred vision, fatigue, behavioral changes, concentration issues and, in more severe cases, seizures and nausea.

Meanwhile, veterans also frequently suffer from psychological disorders. According to Ilona Meagher, editor of “PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within,” about 40 percent of Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom veterans have or may have post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that afflicts those who have experienced traumatic events. In the most severe cases, it can interfere with an individual’s ability to live a functional life.

Student veterans have a slight advantage over other veterans in that they can utilize the services from both their campuses and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This federal agency offers veterans child care services, free temporary lodging, mental health treatment, readjustment services, a women’s health program, and even a program for legally blind veterans.

“Approximately 5,195 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have enrolled in care at all three campuses of the Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Health Care system,” said Ray Aalbue, the public affairs director of the New York Harbor Health Care System. “Everyone thinks we’re swamped with these veterans, especially as in-patients but we’re really not. We have more outpatients taking advantage of our health care, which all are encouraged to do.”

The department also operates over 200 community-based Vet Centers nationwide, which offer outreach and readjustment counseling services for any veteran – and his or her family members - who has served in a combat zone. The centers were created in 1979 by the VA after a significant percentage of Vietnam veterans were still struggling with readjustment.

Yet, despite the severity of these illnesses, many veterans are reluctant to seek help.

“I think I’m alright. I don’t ask for help, but if someone is willing to help, I’ll take it. It’s not a macho thing,” Pereira said. “For us, in the Army, if something is wrong with you physically or mentally, you’re considered to be broke.”

A few months after she was discharged from the Army, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands native and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Zambia King, 25, found a flyer that led her to The Accelerated Study in Associate Programs, or ASAP, an initiative at all six CUNY community colleges. It provides free tuition, block scheduling, smaller class sizes and employment opportunities that enable students to obtain an associate’s degree in less than three years.

“I chose BMCC because I liked its mantra: Start here, Go anywhere,” King said. “I felt it really applied to me, since I started in St. Thomas and I’m now on this mission here.”

Now in her third semester, King has taken advantage of nearly every opportunity at BMCC: She’s a member of the highly successful Organization for Student Veterans club, is a peer mentor, has a full-time course load, and volunteers for several different organizations.

In her work on behalf of veterans, King strives to address the needs of student veterans across the CUNY system.

King said that once a month, there is a CUNY Veterans Liaison meeting with Wilfred Cotto, university coordinator of veterans affairs. “There, we focus on improving the lives of veterans CUNY-wide,” King said. “Currently, we’re working to unify the schools through the creation of a subcommittee.”

Arcangel noted the progress CUNY has made in the past few years.

“Cotto has been picking up the pieces after several decades of no central coordination within CUNY,” Arcangel said. “But, my main goal is to have a one-stop shop veterans office at every CUNY. With the recent budget cuts and the economy, though, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

Though CUNY has a wide array of services for its student veterans, there are still opportunities for improvement.

For example, only a handful of schools in the system have a full-time veterans affairs coordinator responsible for addressing the needs of student veterans.

“Our capacity is limited by our budget. But, in addition to expanding PROVE across the system, I think each campus needs a veteran services coordinator,” Popowich said. “This way, student veterans won’t have to deal with certifying officers, who are too overburdened with other registration needs and have to divide their time. Our veterans need someone who is exclusively dedicated to their needs.”

While a few campuses offer counseling through the PROVE Program’s interns, many campuses within system lack professional mental health experts who specialize in treating combat and trauma-related issues.

“At BMCC, we’re gearing up to fill a full-time veteran counselor position,” Pastor said. “The counselor will work with our PROVE interns and with student veterans who need counseling services. This is what we’ve needed – someone who is an expert in serving veterans.”

Though there are holes in the system, many student veterans consider themselves lucky to be CUNY students.

“A lot of my colleagues from schools in other states and regions are in schools that aren’t up to par with CUNY and CUNY’s level of support for student veterans,” Arcangel said.

Despite CUNY’s successes, though, student veterans remain part of a unique group within the CUNY community that requires more attention than the average students.

“CUNY isn’t bad. I don’t want them to … roll out the red carpet,” Pereira said. “ But, I want them to be aware that we’re different. If we [soldiers] hit an obstacle in the field, we always overwhelm and overpower the opponent. But, when you come here and you hit an obstacle, like registration, we want to take the easy way out. But, the easy way out might be going back to the Army. I want my fellow soldiers to be in school. We deserve to be in school. So, we need help making that happen sometimes.”

Pastor, too, recognizes both the shortcomings and successes of CUNY’s ability to meet veteran needs.

“We’re a work in progress. Some of our schools are ahead of others, but what we’re really fighting for are the resources,” Pastor said. “We really need to push that whole process forward.. We’re close, but we’re not there yet.”