On Veterans' Day, NYSID Pays Special Tribute to Those Who Served
NYSID celebrated Veterans' Day by paying it forward in patriotic fashion, dedicating its newest Battle Buddy Center at SUNY Oswego, in collaboration with Oswego Industries and Clear Path for Veterans.
NewsChannel 9, CNYCentral.com and Oswego County News Now provided excellent coverage of the November 11 Battle Buddy Center dedication ceremony.
Among those who participated in the standing-room-only event:
Paul Quirini, NYSID outreach & communications specialist, on behalf of Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO
Capt. Walter Roettger (Ret.), United States Air Force and SUNY Oswego provost
Ben Parker, SUNY Oswego veteran & military services coordinator
Ed Pulaski, Oswego Industries vocational services coordinator
Sean Walsh, Oswego Industries custodial operations manager
Brian Knapp, Clear Path for Veterans peer support team lead
Student veterans from SUNY Oswego
Battle Buddy Centers are safe havens for veterans to socialize with their fellow veterans and receive services they need. Based on the military concept of a "Battle Buddy," which partners soldiers to assist each other both in and out of combat, Battle Buddy Centers offer activities to encourage camaraderie and foster veterans to give and receive mutual support.
Through this Battle Buddy Center, NYSID, SUNY Oswego, Oswego Industries and Clear Path for Veterans provide a space for nearly 200 veteran students, National Guard/Reserve Students, active duty students and their dependents to study, socialize with one another, and receive services they need.
The Battle Buddy Center will allow SUNY Oswego to continue advancing its support of student veterans by growing its existing space and expanding resources to help them accomplish their educational goals and assist them with the challenges they face post-service.
"NYSID recognizes that creating educational and employment opportunities for service-disabled veterans and other New Yorkers who face barriers to employment is not only the right thing to do, it also improves our state's economy and strengthens our communities," said Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO. "Based upon the current veteran population and the anticipated growth of veterans' programs and services, NYSID is pleased to partner with SUNY Oswego, Oswego Industries and Clear Path for Veterans in this Battle Buddy Center."
Deborah F. Stanley, SUNY Oswego president, remarked: "SUNY Oswego remains dedicated to providing outstanding educational services that reflect the unique needs of our veteran students. The Battle Buddy Center will enhance our ability to serve our veteran students as they transition from active duty into and through higher education. Creating a safe space that promotes a strong sense of community and supports academic and personal success for our veterans is a project we are proud to support."
"As a Preferred Source partner of NYSID, Oswego Industries, Inc. is honored to collaborate with SUNY Oswego in the dedication of this Battle Buddy Center," said Laurie Davis, Oswego Industries executive director. "We look forward to being a strong partner in helping local veterans with disabilities gain successful employment through our Career Employment Services program. Our agency brings over 40 years of employment supports and experience in the community, and we are proud to partner with NYSID and SUNY Oswego in supporting our veterans."
Brian Knapp, Clear Path for Veterans peer support team lead, remarked: "The Battle Buddy Center at SUNY Oswego will enhance the programs and services already offered at the college. The veterans will have a place to meet, learn about benefits, and restore the camaraderie they experienced while in the military. We look forward to strengthening our already outstanding relationship with SUNY Oswego and collaborating once again with NYSID, with whom we opened NYSID's first Battle Buddy Center five years ago."
NYSID now has participated in the opening of Battle Buddy Centers at 12 locations, including: SUNY Oswego in Oswego; SUNY Canton in Canton; SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury; Clear Path for Veterans in Chittenango; The College of Saint Rose in Albany; Hudson Valley Community College in Troy; Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson; LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City; John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City; Westchester Community College in Valhalla; Rockland Community College in Suffern; and SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge.
NYSID's Battle Buddy Centers have collectively hosted more than 50,000 visits by veterans since September 2011. Battle Buddy Centers are made possible through grant funding from NYSID and support from NYSID member agencies.