From Soldier To Student: One Veteran’s Journey

Thousands upon thousands of today’s military service members have seen tours of duty in places like Iraq and Afghanistan — but what happens when the tour is over? For those whose service in the military is over, rebuilding a life apart from the military tends to be a top priority and, for many, college is the answer. Penn State’s independent paper, The Collegian, is running a series documenting the lives of returning Iraq War veterans, and today’s issue covers veteran Kevin Geisel, who has chosen to return to school.

While many students remember sitting around a dinner table, Geisel recalls patrolling outside of Fallujah, Iraq. While some dug into plates of turkey and stuffing, Geisel faced an ear-splitting car bomb that exploded a couple of feet in front of him. As he struggled to get up after being tossed to the ground, bullets and mortar shells flew overhead. That Thanksgiving Day, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Geisel is a 23-year-old Penn State freshman — and an Iraq War veteran. He served with the United States Marine Corps for four years, ending his military service last October. Today marks the sixth year since former President George W. Bush gave his ultimatum to Saddam Hussein and sent military forces into the country.

The piece details Geisel’s time in the military, slow transition back into civilian life, thoughts on possible college majors, and insight into the state of war today. Check it out here, and check back for more updates on the series!

© Copyright 2009 The Distance Daily. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.