Russia and Ukraine, events, community spotlight, student veterans council -
Russia and Ukraine, events, community spotlight, student veterans council -
News and updates from the Office of Student Veterans
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Office of Student Veterans

Supporting our Military-Affiliated Community

Hello student veterans. We hope this email finds you well.
We want to express our continued support to the military-affiliated community here at Duke during this time of increasing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Whether it be reminders of the past, concerns about close friends who are currently serving downrange, or uncertainty about your next duty assignment, we understand that this can be a challenging time. Our thoughts are with you, your families, and your brothers and sisters in arms. As always, please reach out if we can support you in any way.

Campus-Wide Events

27th Annual National Security Law Conference is Friday and Saturday 25-26 February 2022 beginning at 8:00 AM. Attendees will hear from such leaders as the Hon. Jeh Johnson, the former Secretary of Homeland Security (and also the former DoD General Counsel); Gen Larry Spencer, USAF (ret.) who will talk about his new book, Dark Horse; Melissa Bert, the Coast Guard Chief Counsel and TJAG who will speak about the unique challenges her service faces; and Brig Gen Gail Crawford, the AFJAG Director of Operations and International Law, who will address matters of Air Force concern.
Other high-powered speakers will engage you with such fascinating topics as the latest in international justice, the military and civilian response to COVID in DoD, the national security challenges of cryptocurrency and ransomware, intelligence community/private sector collaboration, a space law manual update, and more. In addition, you’ll hear the perspective of two judge advocates from Ft. Bragg's 82nd Airborne who were among the boots-on-the grounds during the Afghanistan pullout.
The conference is free of charge and no registration is required. More information, including the conference agenda, can be found here.
Brown Bag lunch on Wednesday, Oct 6, 12pm-1pm, BYO Lunch, Gross Hall Picnic Tables
Join the Duke Armed Forces Association and the Duke University Office of Student Veterans on Saturday, 2 April at 1300 for the annual Veterans Victory Lap 5K. Run, walk, ruck, (or even crawl) Duke University's beautiful East Campus as we celebrate the rich history of service in the Armed Forces that exists right here in our region. There are also opportunities to volunteer to help out with race day operations. Click here for the registration site, or reach out to Maurice Alvarez if you are interested in volunteering.

Meet Your Community

Alicia Blanco is a current student at Duke pursuing her Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in Technology or National Security Policy. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology in addition to a minor in Spanish. Prior to attending Duke University, Alicia worked as Liaison to the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court bridging the gap between courthouse officials and the public that they serve. On top of all this, Alicia is also serving as a Graduate Student Assistant with the Office of Student Veterans.
During her free time, Alicia has become a North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal and received a certificate in Leadership in the Public Sector from North Carolina State University. Alicia was Active-Duty Reserves at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base prior to becoming a clerk. Her main duties at this station included working as an Aircraft Structural Mechanic on F15s. Currently at Duke, she is beefing up her resume with the hopes of pursuing a career in public policy or going to law school. Alicia is the proud owner of three dogs: Browne, Lola, and Oreo and a cat named Delilah. If you are interested, please connect with Alicia to learn more about local and state government and/or how she navigated through her time at the university while being a student Veteran.

Resource Spotlights

Duke has on-campus and virtual resources for mental health that can be accessed at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact the Duke Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by either downloading the Blue Devils Care App or by calling the front desk at (919) 660-1000 between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00PM.*
*Only students who have paid the Duke Student Health fee are eligible for CAPS and Telehealth services through Blue Devils Care. If you are a student that has not paid the health services fee, you may contact DukeReach for support in locating a provider.
If you or someone you know is having a difficult time dealing with the recent events of Ukraine and Russia, or simply want to talk to someone, VA also has resources and tools to help:
Veterans Health Administration mental health services, including how family members can assist a Veteran in crisis
Veterans Crisis Line: Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 press 1 or text 838255
Vet Center resources are also available and include counseling; there is also a toll-free number: 877-WAR-VETS.
Additionally, if you are facing uncertainty about your present duty station or an unexpected deployment as a result of the unfolding conflict and are concerned about how this will affect you as a student, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office of Student Veterans. The Duke University Military Call-Up Policy can also be found online.

Office Hours 

The Office of Student Veterans will hold office hours each Tuesday from 8AM-10AM and 1PM-4:30PM, Thurdsday from 8AM-10AM and Friday from 1PM-3PM in the Crowell Building on East Campus. 
If you would like to meet outside OSV office hours, please email our graduate assistant Nic at nicholas.harrelson@duke.edu. He will be happy to schedule you to meet with someone in our office. 

Join the Student Veteran Council!

Our graduate assistant Nic will be convening a Student Veteran Council this Friday 25 February 2022 from 1:00PM-2:00PM. Any interested student veterans can join the council via zoom by clicking here.
For any questions or more information, please email Nic at nicholas.harrelson@duke.edu.

Ways to Connect

Office of Student Veterans: veterans@studentaffairs.duke.edu

VA Education Benefits Coordinator in the Office of the University Registrar: veteranseducation@duke.edu

Facebook Group: "Duke Veterans"

Facebook Page: "Duke Student Veterans"

Instagram: "DukeStudentVets"
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