military

Campus, military October 11, 2018

Student vets group raising funds for full court flag to display at sporting events

By DAVID DUPONT BG Independent News The Student Veterans Organization wants to help Bowling Green State University up its game when it comes to patriotic displays. The organization is raising $10,000 to buy a full court flag that could be used at athletic events both on campus and off. The SVO has launched an online crowd-funding campaign through Falcon Funded.  Click here. “It’s the least we can do so we can show our support for the opportunities this country has for everyone,” said Brady Clayton, a Marine veteran who is majoring in construction management. “To have this giant flag at Bowling Green is awesome.” Eric Buetikofer, a military and veteran advisor who coordinates on-field military recognitions, said the initiative got started last year when the athletics department approached him about finding a full field flag to display at a football game.  A full field flag covers the length and width of a football field. A little research showed only the Cleveland Browns had that large a flag. To rent one would cost $6,500 — it comes in its own truck and crew. A full-field flag costs $45,000 to buy. That was too much, Buetikofer said, but a less costly and more practical option was the 50-foot-by-90-foot full court flag. That flag covers a basketball court. That would cost $10,000. Eric Buetikofer brought it to the SVO as a project. The organization took it on. A flag that size can be used for pre-game displays for a full range of sports including hockey, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, and soccer. When displayed on the football field, it allows for space for the band. The SVO will be the owners of the flag, responsible for its use, handling and maintenance. While it will largely be used at BGSU, the flag will also be available for high schools and other colleges. “It’s a flag not just for BGSU but the community at large,” Buetikofer said. “It adds to the sense of responsibility,” Clayton said. This also gives the veterans group an opportunity to work with the community. It takes 30-50 people to hold the flag when it is displayed. The flag has straps attached to the underside of the flag. The student veterans would have the responsibility to find volunteers to help. Buetikofer said he hopes it also helps bring more attention to he military-affiliated community on campus. There are 650 military-affiliated students who are either active duty, National Guard, veterans, or dependents  For Bryan Bills,  sophomore studying aviation, the flag project has special meaning. He served in the Army for six years and is still in the National Guard. He’s had two deployments to Afghanistan. On his second deployment, someone sent him a BGSU flag that he proudly flew. Now at BGSU, there will be a new American flag to fly to recognize his and his peers’ service. “It’s good to have,” he said. “If it’s not important to anybody else, it’s important to us.”

Posted by:
David Dupont on October 11, 2018.
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Campus, Community Voices, military, Technology February 28, 2017

Air Force & School of Human Movement, Sport & Leisure Studies form partnership

From 88th Air Base Wing Office of Public Affairs The Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing has signed an Educational Partnership Agreement with Bowling Green State University’s School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies due to a mutual interest in the areas of human biomechanics and three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. An EPA is a type of technology transfer agreement between a federal laboratory and an educational institution that enables the transfer or development of technological resources and applications, such as equipment, facilities and professional expertise. Under this agreement, AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing and Bowling Green State University, a public university in Ohio, collaboratively developed research projects to be conducted at BGSU. The 711 HPW loaned motion analysis equipment to BGSU, which enabled BGSU students and faculty to conduct research of benefit to both parties. Several research papers have been published regarding the multiple projects that were conducted through the equipment loan. “The purpose of the EPA is to encourage and enhance study in scientific disciplines. AFRL/711 HPW found that working with BGSU was mutually beneficial and validated the importance of partnering with academia,” said Jennifer Whitestone, biomedical engineer, AFRL 711 HPW. “Sharing technologies and assets with our BGSU colleagues offers a unique collaborative opportunity that can lead to new ideas, innovations, and solutions to help solve our current Air Force challenges as we help to develop the bright young minds that will become part of tomorrow’s workforce.” Access to collaborative resources allowed researchers to analyze concealed objects of various sizes in the torso and the changes that occurred to the size, shape and motion of an individual. The datasets collected are expected to result in improvements of defense and security processes for the military. Research efforts were also made in the area of simulated entry control point development for evaluating human deception and its influence on human dynamics when individuals were near a simulated air base, town or other restricted security checkpoint. When illegal objects made it through the checkpoint undetected, individuals received a monetary incentive of $100. Projects of interest to the School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies have been conducted to analyze soccer kicking and hockey slap shot techniques. Results from this research included a discovery in the differences between how skilled and unskilled soccer players use the torso when kicking and developing novel gait assessment models for a specialized non-motorized treadmill. “The partnership with AFRL has helped every facet of our research to grow and has added significantly to our opportunities for student instruction,” said Dr. Matt Laurent, an associate professor of exercise physiology at BGSU. This agreement supports the Air Force goal of promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM education. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students of BGSU were also provided with invaluable opportunities to participate in innovative research. The research is scheduled to continue until 2019. “I believe my experience with the Air Force set me apart from other students and played a vital role in my admission into a doctoral program,” said Dano Tolusso, BGSU graduate and current doctoral student at the University of Alabama. (Story by Jaclyn Knapp, Air Force Technology Transfer Program Office)

Posted by:
David Dupont on February 28, 2017.

Campus, Community Voices, military January 30, 2017

William Hann honored posthumously for work on Armed Services Blood Program

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Dr. William Hann, a longtime BGSU biological sciences professor, had a history of helping others. Before his death in 2009, he taught biology for 25 years, was a dedicated volunteer to numerous local organizations, including the Boy Scouts, served as a military leader for 37 years in the National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve and transformed the military blood bank that has helped save the lives of service members worldwide. His dedication to the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented posthumously at the ASBP’s annual meeting in October. His widow, Emma Hann of Bowling Green, accepted the award on his behalf, remarking how much he loved his work at BGSU and with the blood bank program. Before coming to BGSU to teach in 1967, Hann was a military policeman during the Korean War and then worked at the National Naval Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health. At BGSU, he taught bacteriology, microbiology and virology and was involved in developing the medical technology and blood bank programs at the University. According to Navy Capt. Roland Fahle, ASBP director, Hann was “a trailblazer” who “opened a door that never closed for many blood bankers.” He was best known for his work with ASBP’s Specialist in Blood Banking Fellowship Program, which trains clinical laboratory officers from all three branches of the Armed Services in the advanced, specialized blood bank topics necessary in the health care industry. Military blood bank fellows were scholastically empowered to propel the military blood banks worldwide into fulfilling their military readiness mission. As a mentor to hundreds, if not thousands, of biology students, he was known for excellent clinical and pedagogical skills. Four of his former students — Col. (Ret.) Anthony Polk ’74; Dr. W. Patrick Monaghan ’72, ’74, ’75; Col. (Ret.) James Berger ’83, ’85; and Dr. Jerry Holmberg ’84, ’85 — nominated Hann for the lifetime achievement award. They each had successful careers in the military blood bank program and previously earned the ASBP lifetime achievement awards for their own contributions. “His personal efforts resulted in convincing key members of the U.S. Army and the administration of Bowling Green State University into a formalized relationship in supporting research, training and education,” his nominators stated. In 1972 during a visit to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Hann, who was also a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, recognized the possibility of establishing a professional relationship between academia and the training provided by the U.S. Army in the tri-service Blood Bank Fellowship. Because of the partnership, the University incorporated the military blood bank fellowship training program into the curriculum with attendant credits. Thereafter, military blood bank students could use their hard-earned credits as part of a graduate degree program and go on to obtain their doctorate as well. Hann helped develop stringent course work and intensive training which ensured that the students graduated from the program as true specialists. For 18 years, fellowship students could apply to the graduate school at the University and receive formal credit toward their graduate degrees. More than 100 officers received graduate credit hours, many of whom earned a master’s degree in applied biology (immunohematology), and five completed their research and earned doctoral degrees. “Dr. Hann…

Posted by:
David Dupont on January 30, 2017.

Community, Government, military January 12, 2017

Area National Guard called to duty overseas

By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN BG Independent News   As the soldiers marched into the gym, the families rose to their feet and let the wave of pride push aside their fears for the moment. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re wondering what our nation’s finest look like, look no further. They are sitting in front of you,” said Major General John C. Harris, assistant adjutant general for the Ohio Army National Guard. The “call to duty” ceremony, held Wednesday afternoon in the Stroh Center at Bowling Green State University, bolstered the soldiers being deployed for Jordan, and fortified their families preparing for their absences. “I’m really proud of him, and he’s really proud to serve,” said Melissa Krieger, of Bowling Green, about her son Logan. Logan Krieger will turn 22 next Wednesday. “He’ll miss his birthday here,” his mom said. But she is certain of her son’s service. “I know they’ve been very well trained. And I’m confident they are going to look out for each other.” Krieger was one of about 360 soldiers from the Ohio National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Walbridge, being deployed overseas to help train the Jordanian Army. The troops are expected to spend nine to 12 months overseas. “I’ve been preparing for this for eight months,” said Kristin Russo, Findlay, as she waited for her boyfriend James Preble to march past her seat in the stands. “I don’t think it’s real until they actually leave. It’s pretty surreal right now.” But like so many others, Russo was overwhelmed with pride for her boyfriend, for whom this will be his third deployment. “I’m really proud of him,” she said. Josie Shaheen, of Syracuse, New York, is familiar with serving overseas, having been deployed to both Afghanistan and Qatar. But this time it’s her husband going, and this time they have a little girl, Emma, 1 ½ years old. “He’s going to miss her second birthday. He’s afraid she won’t recognize him when he gets home,” she said of her husband, Mahdey Shaheen. As he spoke to the soldiers and their families, Harris said those being deployed will miss countless birthdays, anniversaries, proms, graduations, failed furnaces and broken down cars. “I know it’s you who will have to bear that burden,” Harris said to the families. But their loved ones are needed overseas, to support Operation Inherent Resolve in Jordan, and Operation Spartan Shield in the United Arab Emirates. “You represent our nation’s finest, which means you are the world’s finest,” Harris said to the soldiers. Of those headed to Jordan, 58 have already been deployed once before. For 30 this will be their third deployment, for 10 it will be their fourth, and for three this will be their fifth tour of duty. “This is the best led and most experienced battalion,” Harris said. Harris had three orders for the troops. While the mission is not to destroy an enemy, Harris told them to keep their skills at the ready. “Stay razor sharp,” he said. He also advised them to work tirelessly to stay in touch with their families and their employers back home. And finally, he told them to execute their mission well. “The world is watching the 148th Infantry.” “This is no easy task,” Harris said. “Our nation is eternally grateful.”…

Posted by:
Jan Larson McLaughlin on January 12, 2017.

Campus, Community Voices, military November 7, 2016

Military Times: BGSU tops in Ohio for veterans

By BOB CUNNINGHAM BGSU Office of Marketing & Communications Bowling Green State University was named the top “Best for Vets 2017” university in Ohio by the Military Times. Military Times ranked BGSU 46th out of 130 four-year institutions in the nation, besting all other Ohio schools and remaining one of the top academic choices in the country for veterans and active-duty military personnel. “We are extremely proud to be considered among the best universities in the nation in making sure that student veterans have the necessary tools to succeed in academic life,” BGSU President Mary Ellen Mazey said. “These rankings recognize Bowling Green State University’s dedication to helping current and former U.S. military personnel inside and outside of the classroom.” To be considered for “Best for Vets,” colleges had to fill out a survey of about 150 questions. Military Times evaluated schools’ responses plus other data collected by three federal agencies. Most colleges that filled out the survey didn’t make the 130-school cut, the publication said. BGSU also is among 42 schools in the new Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) program, a peer-support system that connects new student veterans with on-campus student veterans to help adjust to university life. PAVE is a collaboration between the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry and Student Veterans of America. “Best for Vets,” which regularly recognizes BGSU, evaluated schools in five categories: university culture, academic outcomes/quality, student support, academic policies and cost and financial aid. “The University has long been committed to making a college education a reality for veteran students,” said Barbara Henry, assistant vice president for nontraditional and military student services. “We are here to help make the transition from life in the military to life on a college campus as seamless and stress-free as possible.”

Posted by:
David Dupont on November 7, 2016.