UCBA student and veteran Nicholas Paea has taken the initiative to form a Veterans Support Group here on campus. The group, which aims to bring veterans together to help deal with adapting from military life to civilian life, was born from Paea’s desire to help others who share his experiences.
“I was talking to David Frese, and there is no veterans support group on this campus. The Clifton campus has something of a support group, but there isn’t one here,” Paea explained. “We have a couple hundred veteran students, and no one who is speaking out for them.”
Paea, a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other places, opened up about his struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
“Clearly I’m not a psychologist,” he said. “I’m not a doctor, and I’m not going to give medical advice. I’m just giving an open forum for people. It helps to talk about your issues with people who understand.”
The group, which is still in the planning stages, will start by having meetings twice a month, but Paea wants to make it a weekly occurrence.
“I will make it clear to others that they can call me 24 hours a day,” he asserted.
Aside from being able to openly discuss what they’re going through, veterans will have more access to representatives from other groups in the area, and Paea hopes to make a psychologist available at meetings at least once a month.
“As veterans, we talk to each other and we help each other,” he explained about his hopes of creating a community where veterans can feel comfortable. “We’ll say things that we won’t say to our doctors, wives, husbands, boyfriends or girlfriends. This is a chance to be back among our own kind.”
He paused. “I know the frustrations that I went through and all I hope is that I can help someone else avoid that.”
For more information, contact Nicholas Paea at paeans@mail.uc.edu.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025