MTSU has a long tradition of aiding veterans in their transitions from military to civilian life. 

The 3,200-square-foot Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center is among the largest and most comprehensive veterans and military family centers at a university in Tennessee as well as in the nation. The Daniels Center provides service and support for the more than 1,100 student veterans and their family members at MTSU. Everything a student veteran needs to succeed is available in this single location, from scheduling courses and completing government paperwork to getting questions answered about benefits and employment opportunities. 

But you do not need to be a student or an alum to be assisted. If you are military-connected, the Daniels Center can help you! 

MTSU’s senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives, retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, leads MTSU’s ongoing push to help student veterans be successful at college. 

Here are just a few recent highlights from the Daniels Center’s many activities: 

• Commissioner Tommy Baker has partnered with the Daniels Center to better connect veterans with their Veterans Affairs benefits. The Daniels Center is now a field office for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services, which means that veterans can come to the Daniel Center to be assisted with their VA claims. There is a full-time Veterans Service Officer (VSO) in the center. Veterans do not have to be affiliated with MTSU to use this valuable service. Just contact the Daniels Center for an appointment, a map, and a parking pass!
• The Nashville Sounds and the Daniels Center teamed up on the 80th anniversary of D-Day to honor one of the survivors of the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Bill Allen of Murfreesboro was a 19-year-old Navy corpsman on June 6, 1944, referenced historically as D-Day. His World War II landing craft made three round trips to the beaches of Normandy, France, carrying tanks, troops, and trucks to the shore and bringing the dead back to the fleet. His ship hit an underwater mine on his fourth trip, killing 117 sailors, with only Allen and 27 others surviving. Allen and his family were recognized as the guests of honor for the Sounds before the start of the minor league baseball team’s Military Appreciation Night on June 6 at First Horizon Park. Sounds players wore special military-themed jerseys that were later auctioned off to benefit the Daniels Center. The Nashville Sounds’ “N” logo is placed over the heart and emblazoned with the American flag, symbolizing that love for one’s country is in the heart of all who serve. And yes, the rumors are true—I threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Military Appreciation Night game!
• Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve, visited MTSU on May 21. While on campus, Daniels met with Army ROTC cadets, toured the MTSU Daniels Center, and presented a full Minuteman ROTC scholarship to incoming MTSU freshman Morgan Sheldon, who plans to major in Exercise Science. Daniels also attended the Grand Ole Opry for the Salute the Troops event sponsored by the Daniels Center. The first female to command the Reserve component, Daniels commands more than 200,000 soldiers and civilian employees who live and work in communities across the country.