GSU students launch group for military veterans

GSU students launch group for military veterans
Pamela E. Walck Monday, April 14, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Matthew Moser looks like a typical student at Georgia Southern University.

He's an outgoing junior studying pre-med with dreams of becoming a doctor.

What many miss: He's also an Army veteran who has seen combat zones twice - in Kosovo and Iraq.

At 26, he's a retired soldier who has battled through the transition into civilian life, as well as fought mild symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

But Moser said it was those unseen struggles that felt like a chasm between him and most of his 18- and 19-year-old classmates - until he met other military veterans.

"It's not as easy (returning to civilian life) as it sounds," he said. "Sometimes we need help along the way. When I came back to school, I met some veterans that were able to help me, but not everyone has ... that."

It's no surprise that Moser is president of the GSU Veterans Organization, a new group on campus that aims to assist former servicemen and women to adjust into the role of "student."

"It was difficult to adjust," Moser said. "Suddenly you're the older guy in class or the oldest. ... You're immediately different than the rest."

Moser said the ability to share these experiences with others going through similar things helped alleviate the pressure - and the isolation of thinking he was the only one.

Today, some 20-plus student veterans meet every other week at GSU.

Sometimes it's just to hang out or play intramural baseball. Sometimes it's to talk about what's on their minds.

Sometimes it's to make sure veterans are getting all the benefits they qualify for or the help and support they need.

"It was hard for me. I was never diagnosed with PTSD, but I had huge signs of it. I never wanted to get any help. I was too hard-headed to (go to the Veterans Affairs)," Moser said. "Having peers around you that have been through the same stuff really helps - especially when you can talk to them about it and they understand."
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