On April 23 and November 11, 2023, University of Arizona (UofA) military-connected students attended Southern Arizona Honor Flight #32 & #33 as HFSA Guardians. If you have not explored this opportunity for your military-connected students, consider these lessons learned from the Veterans Education and Transition Services (VETS) Team at University of Arizona.

What is Honor Flight?

Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization comprised of independent hubs working together to achieve the Honor Flight mission: a free trip to Washington D.C. war memorials. These organizations have the enormous privilege of showing our nation's veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve. Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, remember the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. The mission is to honor our veterans with a free trip to Washington D.C. via generous donors to visit the monuments and memorials of WW2, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, Lincoln Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery to view change of guards. Honor Flight Southern Arizona (HFSA) is one of the esteemed and privileged organizations focusing on this mission for Southern Arizona veterans.

Through generous donations, and with the collaboration and partnership of University of Arizona Veteran Education & Transition Services Center (VETS Center) and the HFSA organization, military-connected students at UofA get the privilege to serve veterans by participating in this 3-day free trip to D.C. as assigned guardians to the veterans attending, known as the HFSA Guardians. This initiative is known as the HFSA Guardianship program. It is a community-based service-oriented program aiming to provide military-affiliated students an experiential learning opportunity to practice support and companionship to veterans throughout the HFSA trip. Students can apply through UofA's VETS newsletter notifications and are selected based on their good academic standards as well as their enthusiasm to serve the military community. Students learn about their duties, the trip itinerary, travel arrangements, and safety protocols to ensure a smooth experience for everyone. The trip itself offers a carefully planned itinerary that includes free transit by aircraft, a hotel stay, buffet meals with ceremonial speeches, guided tours with medical teams, and visits to significant sites of D.C. At the end of the trip, the VETS Center runs a survey to gauge the experiences of the students serving as guardians. Students' shared how they felt after the trip:

"This trip broadened my point of view in terms of how veterans are treated in the U.S. It was a stimulus that can take a comparative view of my country of origin & culture."

"By seeing how veterans are welcomed and treated by the public, my sense of community in the U.S. was enormously enhanced."

"I volunteered because I wanted the honor of accompanying a vet and being there in the moment when they recaptured their memories."

The HFSA guardianship program offers the opportunity to develop personal and professional skills through experiential learning outcomes for students. Trainings and assignments throughout the trip help students develop useful skills for their academic and professional success. The major take aways for UofA military-connected students from this experiential trip are highlighted below:

• Community-based experiential learning: HFSA Guardianship is the best community-based experiential learning opportunity for military-affiliated students who wants to serve the veteran community during their active campus life.
• Improves camaraderie and communication skills: This trip helps in building networks, camaraderie, and communication skills as they are assigned to participate into effective verbal and non-verbal assignments for their assigned veterans. This includes the development of the four major skills of learning: listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Students also meet veteran's family members, and this improves their network outside academia.
• Develops collaboration and unity: Through their guardianship experiences, students learn to make decisions, delegate tasks, and guide their fellow veterans. Students learn to collaborate, cooperate, and contribute to a collective effort. This helps them develop self-care, self-confidence, assertiveness, and the ability to face challenges and inspire others.
• Stimulates diversity and resilience: Guardianship experiences require students to interact with a diverse range of individuals, including veterans' families, fellow guardians, and event organizers and trip advisors.
• Conflict resolution practices: Performing the tasks, students develop skills in conflict resolution, compromise, and leveraging individual strengths to achieve common goals.
• Improves time management skills and multi-tasking: Guardianship experiences require students to juggle multiple responsibilities and tasks within a limited timeframe resulting in active time management skills.
• Balancing adversity: Due to the unpredictable and challenging nature of this role, students learn to adapt to changing circumstances, handle unexpected situations, and remain resilient in the face of adversity.
• Discovers funds of knowledge: Students develop a deeper understanding of the veterans' funds of knowledge as mean of asset-based learning. They get familiar with the ideas of funds of identities and appreciate the value of storytelling honoring history.
• Build networks and connections: Honor Flight experiences often provide students with opportunities to connect with professionals and mentors in their field of interest. They can build relationships, seek guidance, and gain insights from experienced individuals.
• Improves team commitments and leadership skills: The HFSA program also enhances their leadership and teamwork skills, as guardians collaborate with fellow volunteers and coordinate efforts to ensure the well-being and comfort of the veterans throughout the journey.
• Promote physical and mental self-care: The program emphasizes the importance of physical well-being, teaching guardians to maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, proper nutrition, stress management, and self-care.
• Honoring history and increasing patriotic zeal: This program includes visits to memorials and historical sites where students witness firsthand the sacrifices and contributions made by veterans to protect and serve their country. This experience fosters a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for their service leading to increased patriotism.

Most importantly, working together as a team to ensure veterans have a meaningful and memorable experience creates a bond and a shared sense of purpose among students. This collective experience strengthens the students' connection to their country and deepens their respect for the veterans who have served. Overall, the HFSA trip increases patriotism and respect for veterans by providing actual experiences, personal connections, visits to memorials, and nurturing a sense of unity and pride. Through these life-changing experiences, students develop essential academic and professional skills for their collegiate and professional success.

JJSNYDERPHOTOGRAPHY/Images provided by Honor Flight Southern Arizona

Article Topics

Military Focused Events Military Friendly Institutions Serving Military in HigherEd Workplace Inclusion

Republish this article for free. We want to make it easier for you to share knowledge and creativity, and encourage you to reuse our articles under a Creative Commons license.