Thunder of War - Winds of Return

FAIN: AV-271084-20

Arizona Board of Regents (Tucson, AZ 85721-0073)
Barbara W. Citera (Project Director: October 2019 to present)
Michael W. Marks (Co Project Director: March 2020 to October 2021)
Richard Nicholls (Co Project Director: October 2021 to present)

A course for twelve student veterans to learn to lead discussions for veterans on post-war homecoming, followed by their facilitation of discussion sessions held in three locations in southern Arizona for 30-35 veterans each.

This University of Arizona project reaches out to the diverse communities of Southern Arizona to provide three different discussion fora to engage veterans, students, faculty, and members of the community to explore the experiences of our veterans’ journeys home including: The reintegration of veterans into their communities, the varied experiences and challenges for different generations of vets, and the complicated duality of the sentiment “Thank You for Your Service,” which has existed throughout America’s history in relation to its “former” warriors. It ultimately aims to leverage the critical and compassionate lens so characteristic of the humanities to bring healing and wholeness to veterans who are facing the challenges commonly experienced by warriors returning home. With this practical, applied approach, we aim to empower our student-veterans and participants to tell their own stories, increase their self-efficacy, and effectively navigate the winds of return.