With the end of the United States military operations in Afghanistan, President and Dean Anthony Niedwiecki sent the following note to students Tuesday morning on behalf of Dean Lynn LeMoine and himself:
Dear Mitchell Hamline community,
The U.S. military’s 20-year war in Afghanistan came to an end yesterday (Monday) afternoon when the last U.S. troops left the country. It comes days after an attack at the Kabul airport that was the deadliest attack on US service members in a decade. Many of those killed were babies when the war in Afghanistan started. In addition, scores of innocent Afghan civilians were killed or wounded.
I want to acknowledge that many of our military students and their families might be experiencing a range of emotions and difficulties because of these and other recent events.
We are proud of the military veterans and current servicemembers who choose to attend Mitchell Hamline. We have several dozen enrolled right now, and countless more in our vast alumni network. We know the flexibility of our blended learning option has also been a way for members of military families to get a legal education when they otherwise might not be able.
But our job of providing that education doesn’t only exist inside the classroom. Many veterans and their families struggle with reentry to civilian life and the emotional toll of service can weigh heavily. We know you don’t always ask for help, but we want to remind you that we stand ready to do just that.
In addition to the counseling and other services available, Mitchell Hamline has a Veterans Association to support students who are veterans or family members of veterans. The group also supports veterans’ assistance organizations outside of Mitchell Hamline and works to educate all students on veterans’ issues.
The start of the semester is always an exciting and stressful time for our students. And that’s without factoring non-school events happening in our lives and across the globe. I really care about every one of you and wish for you to be well this week. And let’s look out for each other.
Sincerely,
Dean Anthony Niedwiecki
Dean Lynn LeMoine