Military Service Prepared Them to Survive. Now Let’s Help Veterans Heal and Thrive.

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Military Service Prepared Them to Survive. Now Let's Help Veterans Heal and Thrive.

November 4, 2025

• Veterans Day Q&A:Kate Johnson interviews Danny Roby, a retired Air Force officer who is now Vice President at the American Military University on how higher education can best serve members of the military.

• Beyond Online Access: True military-friendly status requires a deep understanding of military culture from faculty and staff to accommodate service life.
• What Military Students Need: Essential components include automated credit transfer, guaranteed financial optimization, and immediate, 24/7 mental health support.

As we mark Veterans Day this month, on Nov. 11, we want to thank every man and woman who stepped forward to serve our country, in times of peace and times of conflict.

Our military serves and protects our democratic rights and freedoms. Yet, veterans and military families are faced with some of the biggest barriers to opportunity-completing K-12 and higher education, accessing essential health care, and finding career pathways that lead to long-term stability and success. Our systems are not built for the unique challenges that military service brings with it.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Danny Roby, retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant and Vice President at American Military University, who shared one way we can better serve our military families: designing postsecondary education options that truly understand their unique needs. We thank Danny for his insights and his 27 years of service to our nation, and for his continued dedication to members and veterans through his leadership at AMU.

Kate: In the past, military service and college were two different paths. That choice is less so today, yet many service members and veterans still have difficulty navigating higher education. What would you say has stayed the same and what has changed since you were both an active service member and college student?

Danny:The big improvement across higher education is online education. I went to different universities to complete my bachelor's degree, because there were no online universities. So when I was in service, I had to just pack up my stuff, go to the next duty station, and start with a new university, which meant losing credits and changing degree plans. I studied at 12 institutions before finishing my degree. That's really not the case anymore. Some military students do go that route, but a vast majority of them use online education at one of the leaders like American Military University. Online education makes it possible to close up their laptop, move on to the next duty station, deployment, or take a temporary duty assignment, whatever it is, and bring their school with them.

Kate:What are the unique challenges for military members and their families when it comes to pursuing higher education? What makes those challenges different from other student populations?

Danny: There are a lot of very stressful situations that might be speed bumps to completing a degree, or even completing a course or an assignment. There are more deployments in the modern era. For example, a service member could be sitting at home on a Tuesday and thinking, "Tomorrow, I'll do my assignment that's due on Thursday." An hour later, they could get a phone call and all of a sudden be on a plane somewhere into a deployment situation. It's still not easy to get your education as a military member, but there are schools that are truly military-friendly and understand the needs of a military member and their families, which is really critical.

It fluctuates depending on what's going on in the world. Disruptions don't have to be a deployment to a combat zone. It could just be temporary duty from one part of the United States to another part of the United States that was unexpected. Things along those lines do happen often, and it is important for an institution to know that.

Kate:What does it mean to be a truly military-friendly university? This is a term that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the enrollment marketing space. What do institutions need to know and do to really live this claim?

Danny:Anticipate [unexpected deployments] and have policies in place to support those individuals. For example, AMU does short-term or long-term extensions for courses. [Institutions] need to have faculty and student support individuals who understand the military culture. When a military student is talking to a professor and says, "Hey, I'm going TDY tomorrow to FOB," and throws in about four or five other acronyms in there, the professor has to understand what that means and work with the student. Institutions need to have individuals like that involved and acclimated to the military culture, either because they have first-hand experience, which a lot of AMU professors do, or through training programs to teach them. The university has to anticipate and have things in place to assist those military members when things happen, because things happen.

Kate: If you could design the ideal postsecondary institution that truly serves veterans and active duty military members, what would it look like? What are the essential components of the experience?

Danny: I would make sure that the university has several things:

1. Flexibility:Today that means being either fully online or at a minimum having hybrid programs that allow a student to start, pause their programs, and resume studies as life's circumstances change.

2. An automated, standardized credit transfer system:Not only for the military training courses, but for higher learning, occupational specialties, things that will make sure that the military student or veteran gets the full transfer credit that they richly deserve.

3. Dedicated military and veteran support center: It should offer academic advising, career counseling, financial aid, and career services so that students can attend transition workshops, and real professionals that really know how to help the students.

4. Stackable credentials:While you're pursuing your degree, you're picking up occupational certificates.

5. Guaranteed tuition assistance processing and GI Bill optimization:Military scholarships like what AMU offers to our students at a very low tuition rate to make sure there's little to no out-of-pocket costs, because you don't get rich in the military.

6. Comprehensive wellness support:This includes mental health services that are tailored for military members, especially those with PTSD, disability needs, and transition challenges. That's one of the many things that I love about AMU. We don't just talk the talk, we walk the walk and it's backed all the way to the top. Our president Nuno Fernandez is a huge supporter of having the mental health programs in place.

Kate: Let's talk more about veterans and wellness. Suicide rates are extremely high among veterans, and many lack the mental health resources and supports needed to heal from the intense pressures and situations they encounter. How can the higher education and workforce sectors better support veterans who are experiencing these-for many-lifelong battles?

Danny:At AMU, we have comprehensive wellness support that includes chaplains, the U Will program, which is a teletherapy program with 24/7 licensed therapists that our students can reach out to anytime. We have Talk Campus, which is peer-to-peer support because sometimes military members are apprehensive about sharing mental health concerns with professionals and prefer to talk to peers. I think mental health [support], in today's world, if you don't have it at a university, then you miss the boat. It's really important, and one of our main priorities at AMU.

Online counseling, to me, was a savior, because you don't always have someone to go talk to. We have students spread all over the world, even in the North Pole and Alaska, where there may not be access to in-person mental health [services]. Being able to connect with a real person via teams or Zoom or on the phone or even emails, gives you someone to go to. It's not going to work to have veterans and others say, "I'm really struggling right now. I wonder when I can get my next appointment to talk to someone?" And it's six weeks down the road. Six weeks could be too late.

Kate: What can we do to make sure veterans are considered in education policy and institutional transformation efforts?

Danny:Creating spaces for veterans to share their stories and experiences, helping to validate their service, and build community connections across the campus is a really important piece. I feel that, just by giving me the opportunity to share my experiences, matters. And then, more broadly, have streamlined, transparent systems to simplify and clarify the process for assessing federal and state benefits, financial aid, prior learning credit, which is always a really big area and sometimes a difficult one to to really get a handle on. But give clear, consistent guidance, and this is a key part, and it's not always easy, but with minimal bureaucratic delay.

Kate: As duty ends, many veterans are faced with figuring out how to articulate their experience in a civilian workforce. What would you say to an employer about the skills that veterans bring above other candidates?

Danny:I know my 27 years of experience in the military gave me every skill set that I need to do what I do today, and I did not have a single one of them when I walked into that recruiter's door back in 1978. I was not self-disciplined. I did not have confidence. I did not like public speaking. Now, it's my joy. I barely made it through high school with a 64.5 average in chemistry, rounded up to a 65 so I passed and graduated. But, then go on to get my master's degree with honors.

Coming out as a veteran, you have a different skill set that you learn because you need that skill set to survive. You need self-discipline. You need to be dedicated to the mission, or to getting the job done. You need to have the confidence to be able to do the right thing. Integrity, which is embedded into you as a military member. There are skillsets that you just can't get anywhere else.

Most of the folks that work for me are retired veterans or military spouses who have been involved in the military world, and I know, especially as geographically separated individuals, I can trust them to get the job done. No micromanagement needed. They're going to have the self-discipline, the confidence, the motivation, the desire to be successful and do the right thing.

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Thank you to our veterans, active military, and military families. You are never forgotten.

Mental Health Support

Many veterans suffering from mental health issues may not show signs, while others may be afraid to ask for help. We hope all veterans and military families have the support they need to weather the storms.

You don't have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect with caring, qualified responders: Dial 988 then Press 1, chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text (838255).

Key Takeaways for Educators and Workforce Leaders

• Adopt a Student-First Flexibility Policy: Build online and hybrid programs that allow for pausing and resuming studies without penalty, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of military service.

• Support Mental Health: 24/7 teletherapy and peer support are essential components to address veteran mental health needs, wherever they may be.

• Integrate Skill Translation:Incorporate career services and workshops that help veterans articulate military experience (e.g., mission planning, logistics, leadership) into valuable civilian workforce competencies.
• The Competitive Edge: For employers, recognize that by virtue of their service, veterans have integrity, unwavering self-discipline, and deep dedication to mission success.

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POSTED BY: Kate Johnson