Partners for Patriots

P RTNERS FOR PATRIOTS

Corporate partnerships cultivated by the Daniels Center benefit student veterans in various ways by Drew Ruble and Randy Weiler

The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU provides a bevy of services for military members, veterans, and their families. Director Hilary Miller described it as the “E” Mission: “enroll military-connected students, encourage them while here, help them find employment, educate the MTSU community, and expand the veteran-education knowledge base.” Many of those goals are achieved through savvy partnerships with corporate entities that have “bought in” to the Daniels Center’s mission.

Taking Flight Veterans have been trained to operate in the extreme and to adapt to an evolving landscape by thinking quickly on their feet. Said another way, they tend to be self-disciplined and able to handle chaos that sometimes comes with fast-paced situations. By virtue of their successes in the military, veterans have demonstrated they have leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills. These qualities are highly sought after by employers. Fulfilling the job component of the Daniels Center’s noble aim goes far beyond simply nudging military-associated individuals toward civilian jobs for which they may be qualified. The center is actively forging relationships with businesses throughout the state (and sometimes beyond) to ensure applicants from the Daniels Center are given consideration worthy of people who’ve sworn to risk their lives to protect our country, as well as those in their families.

LTG(R) Keth M. Huber (l) inspects an aircraft simulator at Delta headquarters in Atlanta. photo by Andrew Oppmann

MTSU student veteran Martinna Young tries on an Ascension baseball cap during the inaugural signing of the Saint Thomas Nursing Corps when she became the first member. photo by James Cessna

Interview roleplay, cultural coaching that includes wardrobe suggestions, and résumé polishing services are just a few of the ways the Daniels Center helps candidates enter the job market confident in their abilities to succeed in the private sector. Country music entertainer Charlie Daniels, the namesake for the MTSU center, believes veterans make the best employees. “Our veterans are the cream of the crop,” he said. “They understand what responsibility really means. They are some of the most desirable people to hire because you’re getting qualities that you might not get from rank-and-file people looking for work.” University Provost Mark Byrnes led a team from MTSU to Delta Air Lines’ world headquarters in

Army veteran Tyrone Barmore (center), a Delta supply attendant, is welcomed to MTSU’s Adult Degree Completion Program by University leaders. photo by Andrew Oppmann

U.S. veteran Phillip Rich sits near the fireplace in the recreation room at the Alvin C. York Veterans Affairs Medical Center to play one of four guitars presented by MTSU and Schneider Electric for music therapy at the veterans facility. photo by James Cessna

Atlanta recently with the goal to layer veteran outreach and adult degree completion opportunities upon the already substantial partnership between the two organizations. Byrnes was joined by Miller from the Daniels Center; Army LTG(R) Keith M. Huber, MTSU senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives; and Peggy Carpenter, associate dean of MTSU’s University College. The three, along with others from MTSU in support roles, met with the leadership of Delta’s Propel program. MTSU was one of eight universities selected by Delta to participate in Propel, which provides select Aerospace students with “qualified job offers” that detail a defined path and an accelerated timeline to becoming a pilot for the airline. Byrnes and Huber pledged to work with Delta to make Propel more visible among MTSU’s population of student veterans, which number more than 1,000 and with whom Aerospace is the most popular major. The MTSU team also toured Delta’s flight operations and technical operations centers and huddled with the airline’s Veterans Business Resource Group (VBRG), an employee-led effort to support a corporate commitment to recruit and hire those who have served in the armed forces. In February 2019, Delta Air Lines officials visited MTSU for a firsthand look at the Daniels Center and veterans initiatives. The half-day meeting allowed MTSU leaders to learn more about Delta’s VBRG and for Huber and Miller to share details about the Daniels Center—all with a goal of developing a relationship to help the University’s military-connected students find jobs in all areas of Delta. “This visit by the Veterans Business Resource Group and board is significant, given the fact that Delta Airlines has tens of thousands of employees and many of those are veterans, and to be able to offer to those veterans an awareness and access to their Veterans Affairs benefits and education benefits and to assist them with the Daniels Center,” Huber said. “To assist them and their families while they are in transition is the noble reason that we are having this interaction and further development of this relationship.” VBRG President Kurt Robinson, Delta’s manager for quality control receiving inspection and a former U.S. Air Force crew chief, said he and his two visiting colleagues from Atlanta were impressed with what they saw and heard. MTSU “is an outstanding organization,” Robinson said. “We like their goals and objectives.” He added that the campus visit was “to understand what the veterans center is doing” and “understand future opportunities for veterans and veterans’ families.”

Power Play The industry partnerships the Daniels Center has cultivated do more than just create job opportunities for student veterans, though. They also provide corporations the opportunity for outreach

and service to community that translate into greater opportunities for MTSU’s student veterans as well. The Nashville Predators pro hockey team stepped forward in March 2020 to raise money and awareness for MTSU student veterans in distress and whose educational benefits have either expired or have been exhausted. Predators President/CEO Sean Henry joined MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Charlie Daniels, who has financially supported the Daniels Center through his foundation, to announce the creation of The General’s Fund during a news conference at Bridgestone Arena. Through this partnership, Henry said the Predators and MTSU will help Huber support military-connected students who struggle financially to reach their higher education and career goals. Huber, along with Miller, will direct money from the fund to help student veterans with the greatest financial needs. “MTSU proudly serves more than 1,000 military-connected students, yet about 20% of them no longer have the educational benefits that were earned through service to our country,” Henry said. “The General’s Fund that we are establishing today will help fill that gap.” “We deeply appreciate our partnership with the Predators,” McPhee said. “Their commitment to support The General’s Fund, for this and future seasons, will harness the power of this great franchise to yet again bring forth positive change in our community.” Daniels, who attended the press conference with his wife, Hazel, described the honor of his name upon MTSU’s veteran and military family center as greater than his selection in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The couple thanked Henry, the Predators, and Bridgestone Arena for stepping forward to help create The General’s Fund. “Only two things protect the United States of America: the grace of almighty God and the United States military,” Daniels said.

The Bottom Line Establishing meaningful relationships with employers also allows the Daniels Center to provide information designed to help the veteran employee thrive in his/her new position. For instance, Huber, a retired three-star general and the nation’s longestservice Green Beret, regularly makes himself available to provide leadership training to companies that have hired veterans through MTSU’s Daniels Center. The Daniels Center also nurtures relationships with employers who hire its candidates with a certificate ceremony to demonstrate how much it values the relationship. Miller and Huber go to the business in person. “Sure, we could thank these employers through an email, but we want to have ongoing conversations with these employers,” Miller said. “We present them with a nice certificate explaining why we’re honoring them.” Waffle House, ServePro, UBS, and Dollar General are just a few of the companies to receive visits recently. Nashville Predators President/CEO Sean Henry (l–r) presented legendary musician Charlie Daniels, Hazel Daniels, and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee with special edition Preds sweaters at a March 2 announcement about The General’s Fund. photo by David Foster

Huber and Miller honor Barrett Firearms leadership (l–r) LTC(R)Joel Miller, Ronnie Barrett, Sam Shallenberger, and Bryan James for supporting the Daniels Center. photo by Andy Heidt

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SALUTE A VETERAN Since 1911, Middle Tennessee State University students, faculty, staff, and alumni have served our country with distinction. Members of MTSU’s extended family have joined the military to serve and protect our country, to aid others in crisis, and to spread democracy around the world. For a $150 contribution, you can honor a veteran or active-duty service member who is important in your life while supporting the overall MTSU effort to remember all veterans who have demonstrated the Blue Raider spirit of service to campus, community, and country.