UConn will soon be displaying its commitment to the nation’s armed forces and veterans in a new way – by raising the POW/MIA flag over the Great Lawn near the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial on several key dates throughout the year.
The University is adopting the practice in response to requests from several veterans in the student body and the workforce, through UConn’s Office of Veterans Affairs and Military Programs.
The first time the POW/MIA flag will be raised is Saturday, May 16, in honor of Armed Forces Day. It will also be raised on Memorial Day (May 25), Flag Day (June 14), Independence Day (July 4), National POW/MIA Recognition Day (Sept. 18), and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).
The UConn Police Department Honor Guard, which has several military veterans among its members, will act as the honor guard for the flag on those dates.
The flag will be raised at 9 a.m. each day over UConn’s Great Lawn and retired at 5 p.m. each day. Any member of the public who wishes to observe is invited to the ceremony, and the organizers are extending a special invitation to all veterans affiliated with UConn.
The dates reflect those approved by Congress in the 1998 Defense Authorization Act. The act mandates that on these national observances, the POW/MIA flag is to be flown over the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Korean and Vietnam Veterans War Memorials, various federal offices, every major military installation, every post office, and all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and national cemeteries.
UConn has about 900 veterans enrolled in its student body, along with more than 300 members of its faculty and staff. It also has active Army and Air Force ROTC programs, and its Office of Veterans Affairs and Military Programs helps guide student veterans to a variety of academic, financial, and social resources.
The University has been active in implementing new initiatives and boosting programs for veterans.
Last year, for instance, the University expanded its fall and spring tuition waiver for veterans to include courses during the summer and winter intersessions. This provides the opportunity for veterans admitted to UConn for an undergraduate or a graduate program to take courses tuition-free year round and pick their own timeframe for completing their degrees.
Additionally, beginning in fall 2014, the University started waiving all application fees for veterans seeking undergraduate admission to UConn.
Anyone with questions about the flag-raising events or any veterans or military programs at UConn may contact the Office of Veteran Affairs and Military Programs. It is located in Arjona Room 345, and can also be reached via email ( Veterans@uconn.edu), phone (860-486-2442), or on the Web.