By Senator Chris Brown
Good advice always bears repeating: “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” George Washington’s words continue to set a standard for us to follow. I am grateful the Legislature is heeding his advice.
Recently, the Legislature passed two bi-partisan bills I am sponsoring that appropriately show appreciation for the contributions of our veterans by helping them earn their college degrees.
Every time I hear about another veteran committing suicide or losing their home, I feel we should and can do more to help them find stability and purpose in civilian life. Beyond making sure our returning men and women in uniform have access to proper health care, our next task in helping our veterans is ensure they can make a living. Earning a college degree can play a large role in a veteran’s economic well-being.
According to the Department of Defense, two-thirds of the men and women currently serving in the armed forces have only a high school diploma or GED. Further, nearly 40% of those in the military have spouses and children. The odds are a person leaving military service will need a pathway for career that can financially support a family.
Military service instills maturity and focus in young men and women, and for those who choose a civilian career over a military career tend to know what they want to get accomplished when they leave the service. That’s why it makes sense for New Jersey to adopt my bill, the “Combat to College Act.” Under this bill, our public colleges and universities would grant priority course registration to military service members and veterans who live in New Jersey.
The military also places heavy demands on service members. The young men and women defending our country, most of them still in their teens, take on a great deal of responsibility learning technical and complex tasks, from computer programming to foreign languages, in a very challenging environment. The proficiency they earned and mastered in the service of their country merits recognition toward an academic degree.
My second bill, S-1618, recognizes the value of military experience and training by requiring each public and independent institution of higher education to accept and apply towards an undergraduate or graduate degree program appropriate credit for a student’s military experience. The institution may award a maximum of 30 credits for military experience towards an undergraduate degree and a maximum of 12 credits towards a graduate degree.
Both of these bills are now on Governor Murphy’s desk waiting for his approval.
Of course, a number of service men and women may choose to pursue a rewarding and promising career to support their families in a trade based on their military training without the need for a degree. But those who wish to enter a profession requiring a college degree, this legislation provides a pathway for them.
Our nation is blessed with young men and women who willingly volunteer to fight evil in the ongoing war against terrorism. We must always ask ourselves if the care and appreciation of our veterans equals the commitment and sacrifice they have made. Part of our responsibility to measuring up their efforts is for New Jersey to do what it can to make their transition to civilian life as smooth as possible. It would be a sin to let any veteran in need of mental health counseling, a decent place to live, job training, or education fall through the cracks. By making sure our veterans have a safety net, we are adhering to George Washington’s advice so we have another generation of brave young men and women ready to defend our country.
Chris Brown is a decorated combat veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. 1Lt. Brown was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge for his service while spearheading the ground offensive into Iraq. In 2008, Chris was activated to war a second time to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served in the NJ General Assembly since 2012 and was elected State Senator in 2018.
