April 29 Panel – “What is it like to be a servicemember in the modern world?
Here is a YouTube video recording of the April 29, 2021 panel with eight U.S. military servicemembers, which was sponsored by SUNY’s Office of Veteran & Military Services, Anthropology Department, and Faculty Development Center and mediated by Visiting Assistant Professor Jessica Smeeks. Entitled “What is it like to be a servicemember in the modern world?” the goal of this panel is public awareness. In a country with a population as large as ours, civilians are often unaware of the realities of conflict and military life. Often, civilian knowledge of the military and military experiences comes from biased media representations. This panel seeks to remedy this, providing the personal insights from eight servicemembers on the social hierarchies, inequalities (racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, age, economic, etc.), interpersonal relationships, and practical experiences associated with modern military culture. Panelists included servicemembers from four branches of the U.S. Military: Saleem A. Khan, Major (O-4) ’10 g (MBA) Alicia Scott, Major (O-4) Trenton Hanifin, Captain (O-3) ’11 (History) Stephanie Cleveland, Command Sergeant Major (E-9) Justin Freese-Bogar, Petty Officer First Class (E-6) Aaron Shaw, Sergeant (E-5) Nathan Briggs, Senior Airman (E-4) ’04 (Adolescence Ed) Dexter M. James, Corporal (E-4)