Military group pledges $300K to university

The University of Nevada, Reno was named for the second year in a row a top military-friendly school by the Military Advanced Education journal.

The Nevada Military Support Alliance presented a gift of $300,000 at a special ceremony to support the creation of the new Veterans and Military Center on the university campus. Veterans will be able to connect with other veterans in the new center, which will be located on the third level of the William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center, now under construction and scheduled to open in 2016.

“The new Nevada Military Support Alliance Veterans and Military Center will be an outstanding place for veterans on our campus,” said Terina Caserto, director of the Veteran Services Office at the University. “This gift signifies a positive development in the University’s relationship with other area military groups and the continued support of our service men and women on our campus.”

Univeristy of Nevada President Marc Johnson lauded the gift.

“This is an important gift, as it supports development of our new Veterans and Military Center, and it underscores the appreciation of our community and nation for those who have served,” Johnson said.

The University has seen its veteran support services grow throughout the last few years. Three years ago, the university received the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership, VITAL, grant from the Veterans’ Health Administration. The grant provides funding for a mental health clinician on the campus to work with veteran students to improve retention and graduation. The university serves about 500 student veterans with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, and a new VetSMART network provides an outreach program for students, faculty and staff to help them better adapt and succeed in college.

The Veteran Services Office also partners with outside organizations like the Nevada National Guard, the Naval Air Station Fallon and the Reno VET Center to provide programming for student success. The Veteran Services Office has also helped with the Heroes to Hired event, which has allowed students to network with potential employers and place them into jobs around Northern Nevada. The university now has three veteran groups on campus: Wolf Pack Vets, Nu Phi and Omega Delta Sigma.

“Gov. (Brian) Sandoval indicated that he wanted to make Nevada the nation’s most veteran friendly state,” said Ron Bath, retired major general of the U.S. Air Force and vice chairman and treasurer of the Nevada Military Support Alliance. “I’ve always thought, with the university and the Nevada Military Support Alliance working together, that we can become the ‘poster-child state’ for others to follow.”