MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is continuing its commitment to serving student veterans as well as military veterans and families locally and around the world with the expansion of its Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center.
Now spanning more than 4,000 square feet, the Daniels Center is located on the bottom floor of the Keathley University Center and assists more than 1,200 student veterans and family members annually. It is the largest and most comprehensive veterans center on any Tennessee higher education campus.
In a ceremony held in the KUC Theater on Wednesday, Aug. 4, attendees heard about the center’s mission and its dedication to helping veterans and their families — regardless of whether they are associated with MTSU — before touring the newly enhanced space.
“Everything a student veteran needs to succeed is available through the center, from getting advice on courses and completing government paperwork to getting questions answered about benefits and employment opportunities,” President Sidney A. McPhee said.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, MTSU’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives and key catalyst in the center’s creation, credits McPhee for challenging the university to do more for its student veterans and their families, leading to the enhancements and expansions of the center.
“He made the courageous decision that he was going to raise what already existed as an addition and recognition to our veterans and their precious families. He was going to take it to the next level, not understanding what that next level might look like, but to challenge others to do something more for our veterans because it was the right thing to do,” Huber said.
Named in honor of the late country music legend Charlie Daniels and his wife, Hazel, the Daniels’ family remains committed to serving veterans through the center at MTSU. The Legacy Wall, located just outside the doors of the center, highlights Daniels and his support of the military and his decades-long career.
“Dad’s passion was our veterans, and he said we owe them an unpayable debt and gratitude, and he was right. This (center) is a wonderful part of his legacy,” Charlie Daniels Jr. told the crowd of campus and community supporters. “To have a place like this that serves veterans and their families, he was incredibly proud to be associated with this place. He would be even more blown away by what it has become since he left us.”
The center celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, while this year marks 10 years since the university honored the Daniels family for their ongoing support by placing the names of Charlie and Hazel on the facility.
Hazel Daniels added, “It means a lot; I can’t even tell you how much. It’s an honor that our names are on it. If we don’t take care of our military, who is? We’re free because someone gave their lives for us. Charlie would be so impressed (with the center’s growth); he loved this place.”
Veteran, country singer, Opry member, songwriter and author Craig Morgan spoke highly of the center before performing two songs, “Soldier” and “Almost Home,” with guitarist Zack Robertson.
“Without this center, there would be veterans who would not be where they are today, and I do believe they are saving people’s lives,” Morgan said.
Led by Director Hilary Miller, the Daniels Center’s mission is to provide transition services for veterans and their families as they return to civilian life after military service.
“The Daniels Center has a very strong philosophy that we do not send people on a runaround. We want to make sure they can come to one place, and they can get all their needs taken care of, and that includes things well beyond education,” she said.
McPhee noted that in addition to Daniels Center staff, two U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employees — a full-time mental health counselor and a VetSuccess on Campus counselor — and two full-time state employees, both Veterans Service Officers, are stationed at the center, which has now become a field office for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services.
For more information about the Daniels Center, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/military/ or call 615-904-8347.
— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])
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