November 11, 2021

Dear UM Family,

Today, we recognize all of the veterans who have served and continue to serve our nation. On behalf of the UM family, we extend our indebted gratitude to the selfless contributions made by these men and women and their families. 

At the Fallen Soldier Memorial this morning, I laid a wreath to honor the veterans of Montana who gave so much to protect all we hold dear, and I want to thank all of the UM students and employees who take time today to pay their own respects to those who protect our nation. 

But on this Veterans Day, we challenge ourselves to do more than provide a “thank you.” We must better uphold our responsibility to support those who answered that call to serve.

That is why we are launching the new UM Military and Veteran Services Office to enhance services, expand outreach and work with veterans to ensure they can access the education benefits they earned.

In addition to serving veterans, this new office will also extend recruitment outreach to veteran beneficiaries, as well as work with active duty, National Guardsmen and Reservists to enroll more military-affiliated students at UM.

Montana is the proud home of more veterans per capita than almost any other state in the nation, and it is time for us tear down those barriers that keep veterans from using their hard-earned education benefits. 

In the coming weeks and months, the new director of this office, Patrick Beckwith, will work with leaders across campus to design new academic programs and create transition initiatives to ensure military-affiliated students succeed at UM.  

Our ambitious goal is to work together as a campus to be the most veteran-friendly flagship university in the entire country.

I appreciate all who have worked so hard to help launch this new effort, which is core to our mission at UM to foster inclusive prosperity.

To those in our UM family who have served and continue to serve, thank you. On this Veterans Day and every day, we are grateful for your service and we are proud that you chose UM.

Sincerely,
Seth