“If something happens to me, I know my family is taken care of,” said Yulanda Jackson, a 20-year-old sophomore nursing major.
Jackson-who joined the National Guard in February 2006-deploys for Iraq in August. Formerly a member of the Prairie View A&M ROTC program, Jackson left school after completing basic training to work and support her family for whom she provides.
“I don’t think people realize that most of us are 23 and younger,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to put ourselves through school and we have to put our lives on hold.”
Many students who participate in the Army and Navy ROTC programs are under contract, Jackson says.
The process involves the student signing a contract with the Army or Navy that ensures that the student becomes an officer after graduation and serves active duty for a number of years.
Captain Rusty Clark, training officer for the university’s Army ROTC battalion said the average person serves four years active duty but that each case is unique and depends on the contract.
Jackson, who builds bridges in the National Guard, said she has family and friends already serving in Iraq. The financial burden of serving in Iraq affects soldiers and their families as well, Jackson says.
“A lot of people think that because we go over there we’re getting a lot of money but we’re really not,” Jackson said.
Members of the National Guard are paid to drill once a month with their unit and go to training camp for two weeks in the summer.
Dr. Ronald Briggs, director of counseling services in the Owens-Franklin Health Center said Army Emergency Relief and Army Community Service programs provide financial assistance, grants and scholarships to active duty personnel. The navy has similar programs.
Briggs, who served in Vietnam and treated soldiers in the military dealing with depression, said that depression has serious effects on individuals and their families.
“It’s devastating in terms of continuity,” Briggs said. “When a soldier returns home it takes them a while to acclimate.”
Jackson admitted to feeling a slight depression as her departure date approaches and that the National Guard requires members to take classes on dealing with depression.
Briggs said that depression may result in feelings of anger, anxiety, night terrors or drug use and encouraged all individuals experiencing any of these to seek treatment.
“The treatment is confidential,” he said. “There are also support groups around the city.”
The Houston Vet Center, a large organization, reaches out to veterans to provide them with individual and group counseling, sexual trauma counseling and a variety of other resources.
Jackson anticipates that she may deal with issues of depression upon her return.
“I don’t regret it, but it’s still pretty hard,” Jackson said.