While most people within the university community will be watching the war with Iraq unfold on television, a number of UB students recently learned they would witness the events of war from the front lines.
According to Joanne Plunkett, associate vice provost and director of the Student Response Center, 32 UB student reservists have been called into active duty in Iraq.
"That's what I signed up for," said Jason Toy, a junior business major and senior airman. "There's a reason why you sign up, a reason why you're in the military. It's our time to go."
Toy, who is treasurer of the UB chapter of the Phi Chi Sigma veteran's fraternity, reported to a U.S. military base and will be in Iraq by the end of the weekend.
"You're trained to do a job, and you're ready to go do it," said Toy.
According to Jason Pardee, a second lieutenant armor officer in the Army and a member of Phi Chi Sigma, several members of the fraternity have already been deployed.
"These students called upon to serve understand that by entering the military that they incur risk, and these risks can occur in peacetime and during war," said Pardee. "... These citizen soldiers are trained and take their obligation freely with great pride."
Toy said he has already been called to the base several times this semester and, on one occasion, missed three weeks of school.
"I'm ready to go," Toy said. "I was ready to go the first time. I was set up. We were told to pack and get situated."
Although he said he is not scared of getting onto the battlefield, Toy said he regrets that he will have to give up the schoolwork he has done this semester and start over when his tour of duty is complete.
Toy had 48 hours to prepare for his departure. Plunkett said it is not uncommon for reservists to be deployed on very short notice.
"Some of the folks are getting maybe a week's notice, some are getting 'report tomorrow,'" said Plunkett.
According to Plunkett, UB is attempting to make the call-ups as easy as possible for the students who must be deployed.
Plunkett said most students are taking withdrawals from their coursework, some are taking incompletes, and all are granted a leave of absence so that they do not have to reapply to UB when they return from duty.
Toy said his military superiors told him that he will not be back in Buffalo for a minimum of six months and he could be away for as much as a year.
According to National Guard reservist Mark Costa, a library and information studies major who has not been called to active duty, the university has been friendlier toward servicemen recently.
"The University of Buffalo has traditionally been considered 'unfriendly' to veterans," Costa stated via e-mail. "Lately, I have seen a shift in attitude for the better. The administration has been great in supporting those who have been called up."
Toy said the university was very cooperative when he was called to base this semester, as well as when he missed about three weeks following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
"I would like to give a big thank you to understanding teachers," Toy said. "When you're called up, they accommodate you in every way they can."
Lisa Bohlen, a junior nursing major and E4 specialist with the National Guard, has not yet been called to serve in active duty. She said the suspense is not easy to manage.
"It's bad," Bohlen said. "I've got so many things to worry about. I'm just kind of trying not to think about it."
"If my unit went to war, we're a medical company, so we would pretty much be medics," she added. "Every unit has their different mission."
While Costa stated that he has tried to distance himself from the military to pursue different goals during the three years since his active duty ended, he feels conflicted about not being in Iraq right now.
"As a soldier," Costa stated, "I often feel like I have been left behind."
Pardee, who said he anticipates being deployed to Iraq by October, said he is concerned for his fellow fraternity brothers and military servicemen.
"I wish them well and a safe return," Pardee said. "Please make the student body aware of the sacrifices that my brothers and sisters are making, and will continue to make, as long as the country needs their service."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
