New VECTR boon to vets and Georgia
It’s not very often a community, an area, a city, a state can say that it has a facility that is like none other in the world. That’s what came out time and again Tuesday morning at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first of its kind $10 million Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center (VECTR).
It is a true partnership between the Georgia General Assembly that provided the money and the ongoing financial support; the University System of Georgia and its Board of Regents; the Technical College System of Georgia; and the city of Warner Robins that provided the 44-acres of land where the center sits. Middle Georgia State University and Central Georgia Technical College will offer programs for veterans in the facility and staff to run it.
This center will provide ongoing educational transitional support for vets from all branches of the military and it is long overdue. One of the speakers commented that we spend a minimum of eight weeks training soldiers in basic training and some up to 18 months transitioning them into military life, but on the other end we expect them to revert and sort out civilian life in a week.
Part of sorting out civilian life is the maze of educational opportunities open to veterans. The center will be staffed with instructors as well as personnel who can help them navigate through the financial aid packages they are eligible to receive. Using technology, the center can be accessed by veterans throughout the state and even if their circumstances change, their educational direction doesn’t have to.
Though none of the speakers, which included Chancellor of the University System of Georgia Hank Huckaby, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia Gretchen Corbin or featured speaker Judge Larry O’Neal — who as a legislator convinced Gov. Nathan Deal to include the funds for VECTR in his budget — mentioned it, this type of commitment to our nation’s veterans will score a number of positive points on the BRAC scale the next time it comes rolling through Congress. That’s not why the effort was made. It was made because our veterans deserve it. However, it’s not a bad ancillary benefit.
This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "New VECTR boon to vets and Georgia."