Last month, fifteen Appalachian State University student veterans were called away from class to assist with Hurricane Florence emergency management services and relief efforts in Eastern North Carolina. The student veterans had been called in preparation of Hurricane Florence, when Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency.
“For me, it means a great deal to have students involved in the recovery efforts,” said Eric Gormly, coordinator of student veteran services at Appalachian. “When they signed up for their military service, they knew that they could be called away at any moment.”
The student veterans were deployed to a number of areas affected by the hurricane, including hard-hit areas such as New Bern and Wilmington. According to Gormly, as part of the relief efforts, the student veterans likely assisted in small search and rescue missions, as well as setting up sandbags around bridges and other potential overflow areas.
Originally published Sept. 28, 2018.