Understanding Reentry of the Modern-Day Student-Veteran through Vietnam-Era Theory

The student-veteran population embodies unique needs and intersecting identities. The shift from military culture to that of a campus culture is a transformative and challenging experience; mutually beneficial for the campus community and student-veterans alike. The passing of the new GI Bill, coupled with uncertainty in the military’s international involvement, usher new challenges for universities facilitating the homecoming of veterans. Uneasy Homecoming (Faulkner & McGaw, 1977), a Vietnam-era theory, is utilized to examine the transitional experience through a modern-day studentveteran lens. This paper weaves student testimony, survey, and literature to expound upon, validate, and critique central themes of the theory. Suggestions are made for additional research, implications for student affairs practitioners’ work, and systemic policy/advocacy in higher education institutions.