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NEWS

Norwich students called to active duty

By Sarah Davis
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Less than one week after news reached the Norwich community of the first alumnus death in the Iraqi conflict, at least 14 members of the student body received word of their own military activation, according to university and Guard officials.

Maj. Charles Robert Soltes, USAR, Class of 1990, was killed in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 13, 2004. He was the first Norwich graduate to have been killed in a conflict since before the Gulf War.

According to Norwich President Richard Schneider, 32 students were mobilized during the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, and they were all in the Guard or Reserves. The federal government does not take ROTC students, because they do not have the necessary training.

Two activated students or alumni have been injured oversees in the current conflict, but they have both recovered, Schneider said.

Units which are being activated soon include parts of the 3/172 Infantry (Mountain), and first and second Tanker divisions of the Vermont Army National Guard. Thirteen currently enrolled students, including one civilian, as well as one Norwich University employee and one student who had been scheduled to return to Norwich next semester, are among those from Norwich who have recently been called to active duty.

“I’m very proud of our students who are going, and I’m very proud of the ones who went,” Schneider said. “This is a Norwich tradition, and we probably have the best policy to protect students of any school in the nation when this happens.”

Schneider emphasized that, “This isn’t just a corps thing.”

He said that in addition to students currently in the Corps of Cadets, others called to serve are a few staff members, including, at one time, one of the power plant workers.

“We have plenty that are civilian students and quite a few graduate students, both on active duty and reservists who have been activated, and they may continue their education if their activities permit them,” Schneider said.

The policy that Schneider has put into place does not hold activated students accountable for any fees.

“If [activation] happens before the year starts, we refund all their money, put everything on hold, and off they go to fight,” he said. “If it happens during a semester, we refund all their money except their $250 deposit, which covers their food bill.”

Those who have just been activated are headed to two months of training at Fort Dix, N.J., followed by 15 months in Qatar, Kuwait, according to Andrew Jordan, a senior who, since he joined the 3/172 guard unit, has earned an Army contract. Jordan now serves as liaison between the university, his unit, and the other Norwich Guardsmen.

Two Marine reservists who have already served in Iraq and returned are Jacki Lore and Stephen Kulawiak, a 23-year-old senior criminal justice major from Stanhope, NJ. Kulawiak, a member of Gulf Company 225 out of New Jersey, who has been deployed twice.

The first time, Kulawiak’s unit was off-tempo relief while training at Camp Lejeune, N.C. for a year before going to Kuwait. His second deployment took him to Iraq. Kulawiak arrived in Kuwait on March 31, 2003, before he went to Nassyria, Iraq, from April 4 until July 20 of the same year.

“It was tough, long days, different missions; it was combat, and you get shot at,” he said. “We did over 70 combat patrols in Mount Syria, doing various things.”

At the time of his deployment to Iraq, Kulawiak was a lance corporal.

Kulawiak also stressed that, “It’s not easy on the family situation. You’re only allowed one 10-minute phone call a week, and mail is slow.”

Kulawiak, who is engaged, said that his family was worried and that it was tough for them, because they didn’t know what was happening to him.

Kulawiak is still in his reserve unit as a corporal, but he has also contracted with the Marine Corps. The best advice that he has for those going over now is to, “Never let your guard down. Too many guys let their guard down, because they might say the war’s over, or we’re going to a friendly place,” he said. “But you should be going 110 percent all the time and be constantly aware at all times, because you don’t just hold your life, you hold all the lives of those around you.”

Overall, Kulawiak said that combat time was boring, except for the periods of excitement where things got intense, and that he and his fellow marines had to keep a sense of humor and just try and keep busy.”

To have this many students suddenly taken from the school’s rolls is an unexpected financial hit to the institution. But Schneider is determined not to penalize students financially for serving their country.

“This is going to hurt our budget; you’ve got to know that,” Schneider said. “But the trustees are standing behind me on this policy.

“I’m not wavering from this policy, even though we may lose a total of 50 students this year,” he said. “If you think of how important every one of you are, both personally and also financially, to keep the whole place running. But we’re prepared to take that hit. We don’t want them to worry.”

Schneider said that, “If (any) school is going to protect drill and Guardsmen who are called out of school, it’s Norwich” that will do so.

“This is all about citizen-soldiery,” he explained. “If a student is going to be mobilized and fight for our country, then Norwich needs to hold them harmless.”

Schneider describes this policy in a way as the students starting over when they come back. Depending on how far into the semester they are, some may be able to earn course credit for some of the classes they are enrolled in when they become activated; however, it is at the discretion of each professor.

“I hate to see students have to break their academic experience, but actually some of them come back a lot more focused and better students for having done it, and they finish with a much higher grade point average,” Schneider said.

One thing that Schneider asks of those called to duty is that they write back to Norwich. He said that it is very important for them to stay in touch with their friends. “They should know we’re standing shoulder to shoulder with them.”

“It’s very important for our friends of our students that are fighting to stay in touch and let them know when the [sports] teams win or lose, or how ... Regimental Ball (went),” he explained. “The ones that are fighting want to stay emotionally and intellectually connected. That means that we need to reach out to them.”

“I love publishing their letters; it gives real-world meaning to this war,” said Schneider, who was activated in the Coast Guard during the Vietnam War.

Schneider said he knows what it is like being deployed away from home and family while facing the reality of possibly not returning. At the time, one issue he and his wife struggled with was whether they wanted to have a baby before he left for his service, he said.

Schneider said he understands that people today are struggling with these same issues. His advice to students is to get everything out on the table before you leave.

“You don’t want to leave not having said everything you needed to say, because, God forbid, if something happens, you can feel as though you got it right,” he said. “You've got to get everything square, so that you can get your head in the game.”

One of the Guardsmen from the 3/172, Jason Gordon, and his fiancée are an example of what Schneider was referring to.

The two are going to be married on the morning of Nov. 13, 2004, just over a week before he leaves for training. Gordon is just two months away from graduation and a commission in the Army.

Even though Gordon and his unit were told that this activation was non-voluntary, at least two Norwich Guardsmen have volunteered to take Gordon’s place so he can earn his commission.

Schneider, while expressing his personal sympathy for Gordon, is convinced that the government knows what they are doing and must need him for some reason, even though they, too, must realize where he is in the graduation pipeline, so close to completion.

“It’s a great experience, being in the Guard or Reserves; they pay okay; they get great training; but this is one of the risks,” Schneider said. “You put your life on hold to go do what the government needs you to do.

“Yes, they’re going to miss us; yes, they’re going to feel like they’re missing out on some things at school, but they should feel like they’re doing something more important,” Schneider said. “Regimental Ball will be here when they get back, and we’ll celebrate their return.”

Of the 32 Guardsmen and Reservists who went in the first Gulf War, everybody was just coming back as Schneider was beginning his tenure as NU president.

“We got them all back; nobody got hurt, which was fabulous, and everybody finished school. In fact, the regimental commander the next year was a student that had been mobilized,” Schneider said. “He came back with a chest full of ribbons and great leadership experience.

“In both cases, the first desert war and this one, they took almost all the Coast Guard Reservists right away, then the Marine Reservists, then they went down to the Army National Guard,” Schneider explained. “In the first desert war, deployments were shorter, only about a year; whereas now the average deployment is going to be 18 months.”

Schneider said this war is not going to be short, adding that he is currently aware of 30 more students who are on warning order, but he believes that approximately 2,000 Vermont Guardsmen will be called, which would add to the 920 who have already been called. He guesses that they are going to send the rest in increments of between 100 to 120 troops.

“We just said goodbye to an employee, a woman Guardsman who has been activated, so it’s not just students,” Schneider said. “I think this is good; the fact that our employees had to say goodbye to one of their fellow employees brings the war into each and every one of their homes, which, as a professional sailor, is exactly what I want the nation to feel. If they don’t feel like they should send them, they shouldn’t send any of them.”

Schneider recognizes that Reservists and Guardsmen did not always run the military.

“What the pentagon figured out is that if we just send the active guys, we won’t touch the heart and soul of America. They’ll forget about us out there, or it’s real easy to say, well, okay, they’re all volunteers, that’s what they want to do for a living; they’re doing their job; let them go,” he explained.

“When we call up the Guard and Reserves, it affects every town, every village, every state, which is what we want,” Schneider said. “We want to make sure the country is ready to commit our sons and daughters and not just treat the active-duty personnel as mercenaries.

“I think in that regard this is a great public policy,” Schneider said. “I think it’s actually the only way to get the job done today, because there are not enough active duty troops, and they’re being cycled just as hard as the Reservists.”

Schneider said that, “Our country really needs them, and we’re proud of them doing their duty. This is what Norwich is all about

“The military has never put forth such a demand for functionality, professionalism, speed and adaptability on our Guards and Reservists than ever in the last two years,” Schneider said.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Dr, Northfield, VT 05663. www.norwich.edu/guidon.