In 2002, right before leaving for boot camp, Okechukwu Ihenacho called his parents in Nigeria and told them he had enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said they were not thrilled but told him he could go on one condition ““ that he would eventually finish his education.
Four years later, to make good on his promise, Ihenacho enrolled at UCLA as a third-year cognitive science transfer student and active duty Marine.
Ihenacho and several other Marines and soldiers attend UCLA as part of programs designed by the Armed Forces to allow enlisted servicemen and -women to attend college, earn their degrees, and return as commissioned officers.
Ihenacho said he and other servicemen and -women who have seen active duty in Iraq often return to school with a developed sense of focus and discipline.
Brian Collins, a third-year political science student, has been serving in the Marine Corps for many years and has served two six-month tours in Iraq.
He served in Fallujah in central Iraq in 2004 during what he calls one of the biggest urban battles since Vietnam, and patrolled the Shat al-Arab river to prevent oil and arms smuggling in 2003.
Now, he takes classes and continues to receive benefits as part of a Marine Corps program to receive a college degree and remain in active duty at the same time.
But even though they’re in school, many program participants agree that they see their education as a way to enhance their military career rather than an end in itself.
From platoons to pencils
The Armed Forces offer several programs so servicemen and -women can attend universities.
As a part of the Army’s Green to Gold program, Edesha Basa, a third-year political science transfer student and former active duty soldier, said the Army offers three options for enlisted soldiers to get a college degree and become officers.
In the first option, candidates remain active duty and are paid benefits to attend school, but are not necessarily helped with tuition and other college-related costs.
Basa said she joined the Army because she needed help paying for college. She said she could not continue to work a full-time job and attend community college in San Francisco, so she decided to enlist in the Army.
Now, she said she is excited to be getting an education among peers who are interested in thinking critically about what is going on in the world.
Basa participates in the scholarship program, in which soldiers are released from active duty and attend school as civilians. They receive scholarships to help pay for tuition or room and board and are given stipends for monthly expenses and books.
After graduating college, soldiers in this track are required to commit to four years of active duty.
In the final track, the non-scholarship track, soldiers are released from active duty and pay their own way through college. As a result they do not have to commit to four years of active duty and can opt to serve in the Army Reserve or National Guard instead.
The Marine Corps has a similar program called the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
Togiaso Duran is an active duty Marine and third-year anthropology student. In order to qualify, Duran spent six months writing personal statements and interviewing with several commanding officers.
He had to submit transcripts from high school and his junior college, as well as any classes taken in the Marine Corps, and took physical exams so he could continue to receive benefits while studying. In order to do so he has maintained at least a 2.5 grade point average.
Duran said he appreciates the opportunity to study but almost turned it down to return to Iraq because he did not want to let down the other members of his platoon.
He said he enlisted in the Marine Corps because he was drawn to their warrior ethos and dedication for giving back to their country.
As an American-born citizen who lived in Nigeria, Ihenacho said he joined the Marines for the same reason: He wanted to fight for the freedoms he received and liked the challenges the Marine Corps offered.
“The commercials aren’t about the college money or what they offer. They ask, are you good enough to be one of us? Do you have what it takes? I liked that challenge.”
Just another Bruin
Though many of the servicemen and -women studying at UCLA are older than their peers, some said they find they can connect with other students.
Duran said many of the younger students look up to him and come to him for advice. He participates in UCLA’s rugby and rowing teams, and said between study groups and outside recreation he feels at home at UCLA.
“I don’t feel isolated and I treat everyone like my peers,” he said.
Ihenacho, however, said being older has increased his sense of independence and responsibility, having supported himself financially since he came to UCLA.
“I am responsible for myself and my education; that makes me different,” he said.
Basa, who enrolled at UCLA at the beginning of spring quarter, said she has not had any negative experiences being an older student or a soldier on campus.
She said she does, however, worry that other students may see her differently, as a soldier among students rather than a student among students.
“I’m sometimes afraid of what people do think when I’m in uniform, but I think that’s just because we’re in California and California is more liberal,” she said.
Collins said Basa’s concern may be based on the fact that some students who have political views against the Iraq war can buy into stereotypes that men and women in the Armed Forces are “brainwashed, ultraconservative and mindless,” because of their military lifestyle.
“That’s not true. We have our own opinions; we just can’t always voice them because we’ve taken an oath. We open our mouth with a pen and pencil at the polls,” he said.
Basa said she and other soldiers are aware that sometimes they cannot express their opinions.
“It’s a joke we tell in the Army. We say we defend democracy, we don’t practice it,” she said.
Both Basa and Collins said, however, that they have had only positive experiences with UCLA students.
Though they see themselves as being no different from other UCLA students, some servicemen and -women said serving in Iraq has benefited their outlook toward academics.
“I’m better at adapting, … being more flexible adjusting to different learning situations,” Duran said.
After working as an active duty Marine, being a full-time student almost seems easy, Collins said.
But while active duty has helped servicemen and -women become disciplined in their schooling, it can be challenging to return to the classroom, Duran said.
“I’ve had hands-on learning and training (in the Marine Corps), so I’ve had trouble adjusting to the classroom. I’ve had trouble focusing, sitting still,” Duran said.
Ihenacho said becoming a Marine has changed him a great deal as well.
“My attitude is the Marine mentality,” he said. “I know that I can do anything and I stand up for what I believe in, the right thing, even though it might not be popular.”