From UNI to Iraq Article

9/29/2006
Volume: 103
Number: 10
From UNI to Iraq
Lindsey Cook
NI News Writer
Imagine suddenly being pulled out of classes, work and home life to be shipped overseas to Iraq. That scenario has already happened to eight UNI students so far this year.

The students are all members of the National Guard and Army Reserve, and while eight doesn’t seem like a very large number, those students’ absence have affected many on and off campus. Andrew Bergstrom is one of those students. Andrew, who holds the classification of sophomore here at UNI, is currently serving overseas in Iraq in the National Guard. Last September Andrew was attending UNI when he was called up and given only 20 hours notice that he was being sent first to Mississippi for training, and then over to Iraq for up to a year. With only 20 hours, Andrew had to not only inform professors that he was leaving, but also give notice to the university and to his work place.

Since he was pulled out fairly early in the semester Andrew did not get credit for the work he had completed, but he was not penalized on his transcripts for being pulled out of college. According to Phil Patton, head registrar, students called away to serve in the military do not have to retake classes.

“Even if it is late in the semester they can get a final grade from the instructor and there will be no academic penalty.” This also applies to spouses and dependents of those in the military in case of military activation, deployment or movement to a different part of the country.

Returning to UNI will also be a fairly simple process. “Students have to file a letter of intent or call to restart back at the beginning of the semester,” Patton says. Student soldiers are very well protected by the law so that they won’t run into any problems when coming home. Bergstrom says that the Soldier Relief Act that was enacted after the first Gulf War allows soldiers in college to pick up right where they had quit in their classes. “Whatever our status was when we left, we pick up where we left off. Basically it’s like we never left,” he said.

When Bergstrom comes home, possibly this April, he will have the summer to adjust to life in the states and perhaps take a summer course or two. However, the biggest concern he has will be adjusting to civilian life.

“When I came back from basic I had changed some, and so had the people I knew. I had to see where everyone was at and mesh back together,” Bergstrom said. “It took a couple weeks before everything was normal.” Bergstrom expects his next return home to be quite different than the last time.

“It was weird when I was home on leave. When I was driving I was scanning the road for roadside bombs, looking for triggerman positions and driving in the middle of the road. It was enough adjustment to remember to stay in the lines and that the whole road isn’t mine.”

Certainly one person who will be affected by Bergstrom’s return is his fiancé, UNI sophomore Hillary Knox.

Knox, a major in elementary education, is concerned for Bergstrom’s adjustment as well. “I’m worried about his adjustment back to civilian life. After you live the military life for 18 months, it can be hard to make the adjustment back to “normal life.”

Knox says she hears from Bergstrom every three or four days and says he is looking forward to coming back. “He loved UNI, and I’m sure he can’t wait to be back and get on with school, work and his social life.”