UNLV Military Center Recognized as Veteran Supporter of the Month – March 2020

By Chuck N. Baker

The UNLV Military Service Center was named Veteran Supporter of the Month during a special ceremony held last month.

Select members of the organization were present at the Grant Sawyer Building to accept the award. Director Ross Bryant, Melissa Barber, Dwayne Gordon and several others were congratulated by Governor Steve Sisolak and applauded by a cadre of attendees. Many of those honored are also members of Rebel Vets, an organization made up of UNLV students who are also veterans.

In presenting the award, the Governor briefly noted some of the accomplishments of those behind the service center, including a 370-mile, 11-day Ruck March from Carson City to Boulder City.

The march happened around Memorial Day in 2019. It ended with the delivery of ceremonial replica dog tags of deceased Nevada military members to Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske during the Memorial Day ceremony at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Other accomplishments include assisting veterans in finding employment and helping them transition from the military to civilian life. Regarding transitions, Governor Sisolak said providing transition services is “one of the most important things one can do” to aid newly minted civilians. 

Service Center Director Ross Bryant said, “This is a great honor, to have a public ceremony to honor Rebel Vets and the Military Service Center.” He spoke of the tragic numbers of veteran suicides locally and nationally. He explained that his group is building a network of community members who provide problem-solving and lessoning of anxieties for those transitioning from the military into the University of Nevada. 

Other activities the service center provides includes support of Veteran Career Fairs that are sponsored by UNLV Career Services, Work for Warriors and offices of Nevada’s elected officials among others. An additional area of assistance includes support of Military Base Educational Fairs at Nellis Air Force Base and other military locations. Members of the center also volunteer on weekends to help the Nevada National Guard by briefing new Guard members on benefits they may have earned including National Guard tuition waiver, tuition assistance and processing requirements. 

After the ceremony, Bryant explained that center employees are also co-chairs of the Veterans Administration Southern Nevada Veterans Engagement Community Council consisting of Goodwill Industries, the Red Cross, the Las Vegas Urban League, Las Vegas PBS, Heroes2Hired and the City of Las Vegas.

The list of services the center provides is as long as the nation is wide. For more information, interested parties can contact Bryant at ross.bryant@unlv.edu. Anyone wanting to nominate individuals or groups for Veteran Supporter of the Month consideration can make a nomination by going here: https://veterans.nv.gov/benefits-and-services/veteran-supporter-of-the-month/