By Sean Jaeger (’17)
To honor Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2016, Cabrini groundskeeper and U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Famer Sean Kelly held a discussion for faculty and students to help eliminate barriers between civilians and veterans and provide a greater understanding of veterans’ perspectives.
Kelly, a father of two Army sons, mentioned the different challenges soldiers encounter when they return home, including posttraumatic stress disorder and the reintegration into a society that is much different than what they’ve experienced while serving.
“The environment that they’re ingrained into is about ‘I don’t care who you are, what you are, what you do, who you pray to, all I need you to do is take my back, watch my six, and I’ll do the same for you,’” Kelly said about the camaraderie and loyalty to ones’ unit.
When soldiers return home, they often don’t find this kind of togetherness and support in their day-to-day lives.
“These are people who say, ‘Here need some water?’ when it’s their last mouthful of water in their canteen,” Kelly said. “They’re willing to give their life for that person, then they come back to a fractured society. It’s very disorienting.”
Kelly finds it important to explain this disconnect between civilians and those who are serving or who have served, particularly because many people don’t have firsthand experience with those in active service.
The mission of Cabrini University—named a 2016 Military Friendly School by Victoria Media—hits home for the military.
“What’s one of our driving forces here? Service. Social justice. Putting others before yourself. They’ve been there, done that,” Kelly said, adding that Cabrini’s foundation of social justice coincides with Army ethos.
First Sergeant Sean Kelly, who served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 1999, received the U.S. Army Ranger Association Airborne Man of the Year Award in 2011 for his outstanding airborne recording, including two Combat Jumps with the 75th Ranger Regiment (Panama and Grenada).