For Marine Sgt. Kurt Hogan, San Diego State University offered an ideal place to pursue a college degree and return to civilian life after two deployments to Iraq.

Hogan, 23, transferred to SDSU for the fall semester from San Diego Mesa College to study International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR).  He enrolled in a full load of classes and took a staff position in the Veterans Affairs Office assisting other combat veterans transition to campus life.

However, his own transition is now on hold.

Hogan withdrew from classes last week and left on Monday, Nov. 5, to begin training for his third deployment to Iraq.  He represents a growing number of combat veterans whose education at San Diego State University has been interrupted to return to war.

"It sucks that I had to withdraw from my classes this semester, but I joined the Marine Corps post 9/11 knowing of the possibilities for multiple deployments," Hogan said. "I feel good knowing that I am going back to Iraq to fight with my fellow Marines.

"Since my last deployment, it never did sit well with me that my fellow service members are still away from their families fighting, while I sit here in San Diego watching it on the news."

From Student to Soldier

Hogan is one of about 600 veterans attending San Diego State who could be called to war in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to Nathaniel Donnelly, a combat veteran who works in SDSU's Veterans Affairs Office. The precise figure is difficult to quantify, because individuals must self-report to the veterans affairs office to be counted.

"Fortunately, CSU makes things as convenient as possible for these students," said Donnelly, who is also president of the Student Veteran Organization, a student-run service and support group. 

Donnelly said military personnel need only show their deployment orders to receive full tuition reimbursement.  Deployed students are protected from negative repercussions to their grades, he said, adding that faculty have the latitude to create individual solutions that allow students to receive full course credit when appropriate.

Additional policies are in place to benefit student veterans who return from service.  Recently, California passed a law that gives members of the military or veterans discharged in the last two years the right to priority registration in the California State University and California Community College systems.

Tough Road Back

Hogan served in Iraq for three months in 2003 and seven months in 2005. He said he felt extremely grateful to family and friends, and to students, faculty and staff, who made his transition to campus life relatively easy. He also relied heavily on fellow Marines who had returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, the common experience couldn't completely eliminate the effects of war.

"I did have minor (adjustment) issues like driving on our roads and freeways," he said. "In Iraq, we had to drive extremely aggressively and scan the roads for IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and other hazards.  We also had to swerve and switch lanes prior to driving under overpasses to avoid insurgents dropping anything on the top of our vehicles."

He learned those lessons in combat.

"Two of my friends were in the vehicle in front of me and ran over a double stacked anti-tank mine with a fuel cell on top," Hogan recalled of his first convoy. "I can still vividly remember the explosion and how scared I was thinking that I just watched my friends die.  But my training immediately took over and my driver and I got out of our vehicle to provide aid.  Luckily they reacted quickly to the explosion as well and escaped their burning vehicle with minor secondary burns to their extremities."

Hogan said the harrowing experience changed the manner in which he carried out his missions.

"After that day, I realized that you never know when you will be hit," he said. "So instead of worrying about it, rely