Serving the OSU community that has served the nation.
Willie Elfering is Oregon State’s Military and Veteran Resources Advisor, working with students in Corvallis, OSU-Cascades and Ecampus. A veteran himself, Elfering joined the Oregon Army National Guard while attending OSU as an undergrad. He served for more than 25 years with the National Guard, including more than 22 years on active duty. His career included deployments in Panama, Japan and Germany, combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and humanitarian support after hurricanes in Louisiana. Read on to learn more about his story.
Describe your role as Military and Veteran Resources Advisor. What are the unique needs of students who are active duty military or veterans that you address?
I have an amazing role here at OSU. They actually pay me to assist the members of my military family.
The military does a sometimes good, sometimes not so good, job of explaining the benefits our students and their families have earned through their military service. Our center helps them sort out what they could be eligible for and access them.
The center also serves as a place to come together as a community. One of the biggest things that is often lost when separating from the service is that sense of identity and belonging to something bigger than yourself. We work hard to help them make a connection to the community at OSU.
How does your office support students at a distance?
Our OSU-Cascades students get supported from here to help with the benefits and services questions, and thanks to some grant dollars, we were able to establish a resource center at OSU-Cascades where they can study and connect as a community.
Our Ecampus students are the most challenging, and I don’t think we will ever be fully satisfied with the support we are able to provide. We connect with them through phone and email, and we have also set up a Discord Server and Canvas Community to provide assistance and connection in a better way.
Oregon State has a reputation for being a military- and veteran-friendly university. Why do you think that is the case?
I think it all starts with the basics. Oregon State University does a good job of supporting students. Starting there, we have built an effective program to focus on the specific benefits and services available for the military-connected community and that also capitalizes on all of the great work other programs are doing.
What do military and veteran students tell you about their experience as Oregon State students?
I’m happy to say that one of the major themes that I have heard is how instrumental the Military and Veteran Resources Center and the community here have been in helping them through their time at OSU.
The Memorial Union was originally dedicated to the memory of students who fought in World War I. In 2009, it was rededicated to honor all students, faculty and staff who have served their country. Why do you think that recognition is important?
Personally, I think it is a great reminder for younger generations that freedom isn’t free. It comes with a cost, and sometimes that cost is people laying down their lives so that others don’t have to