We, the UCLA Veterans Network (UCLA VETNET), are petitioning UCLA to hire two full-time Veterans Resource Officers, who are preferably veterans themselves, to dedicate attention to veteran Bruins.

Elias Reyes, Jr. was an infantry Marine who served 2 tours in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan with 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (2/7). When he returned home, he was accepted at UCLA. While at UCLA he struggled to receive effective treatment from the VA for his TBI and PTSD. He did not receive on campus treatment. When he graduated from UCLA (with a 3.8 GPA), he began a post-baccalaureate study to earn his way into medical school.

But on April 12th, 2014, he took his own life.

Currently UCLA has a Veterans’ Resource Office which is staffed by student volunteers and one employee whose time is split between veterans and other student groups, and is listed on UCLA’s website as the Guardian Scholars Program Coordinator (Guardian Scholars is a program for former foster youths). Staffing a Veterans Resource Office is with full time staff and sometimes two full time staff is normal in other universities in Los Angeles. We believe proper staffing would go a long way to prevent struggling veterans, like Elias Reyes, from slipping through the cracks.

Therefore, UCLA VETNET is petitioning UCLA to hire two full-time Veterans Resource Officers, who are preferably veterans themselves, to dedicate attention to veteran Bruins.