Veteran’s Corner

By Tyler Dylan Brown
The Guardsman

When Bobby Hollingsworth announced he was leaving for SFSU at the end of last semester, it was inspiring to hear the news. Bobby, a great contributor to The Guardsman, had bridged the gap that so challenges the CCSF student body; managing to transfer to a four-year university to finish his bachelor’s degree.

The baton has been passed, and it’s time to introduce myself: my name is Tyler Dylan. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, I joined the Army when I was a senior in high school, and served in 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. I am a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom with three deployments.

I recently moved to San Francisco and am pursuing a degree in engineering with plans to transfer to SFSU.

I will be sharing the challenges faced by veterans stemming from the recent and current Global War on Terror. In my first column of the semester, I want to speak on the chronic physical ailments affecting veterans.

Many who served have been left with injuries that they have never fully recovered from. They must seek continuous treatment in order to see results. From leg injuries, bullet and shrapnel wounds, back injuries, and many other ailments; seeking therapy has become a large part of their lives.

But the limited options for seeking physical therapy while attending school full time leave many students in a Catch-22 situation. When using public transportation the three main options are the Fort Miley VA Clinic, the downtown San Francisco Clinic, and the San Bruno Clinic.

To get from CCSF to any of these VA clinics takes at best 40 minutes and at worst over an hour. Also you need to factor in the time of the appointment, and whether or not you must wait around afterwards to have labs conducted or to pick up any therapy-related items.

In my experiences with physical therapy at the VA, three-to-five appointments a week for several months is not uncommon, with each appointment lasting half an hour to a full hour. When you add it all up you are looking at losing 6-15 hours a week.

It would be a great service to the student veteran community if the Veterans Resource Center in Cloud Hall bring in a VA physical therapist. No one who served their country deserves to be in pain or discomfort simply because they have to choose between getting physical therapy and working toward their personal potential.

This semester I will be spearheading a movement to bring a physical therapist from the VA to CCSF. It would be an amazing investment in our student veteran body by bringing everyone back to the fullest health they can have, and by freeing up time in the week for us to apply ourselves to the fullest of our abilities.