Yellow Ribbon Programs GI Bill

Erich Kirchubel grew up knowing that he had a passion for traveling and serving, and in 2005, he joined the United States Air Force. Currently a first year student at Suffolk, Kirchubel shared his journey in the military as well as his transition back to the civilian world in an interview with The Suffolk Journal on Veterans Day.

“I spent eight years in the air force, ” Kirchubel, a 26-year-old southern California native said. “I lived in Virginia for three years and England for four-and-a-half-years.”

Kirchubel worked as an air craft mechanic while in London, where he performed service and inspected the airplanes and helicopters used for missions, specifically electrical problems in the planes.

He also served in four deployments during his years in the military, the longest one lasting almost eight months. Areas that Kirchubel served in include Afghanistan, Korea, and Italy.

“I got out last July. I was really ready to go, get back to the civilian life, and get an education. I am using the G.I. Bill now, which helped me get my tuition paid for.”

In addition to that, Suffolk University’s Yellow Ribbon program helped Kirchubel ease his transition back into education. Yellow Ribbon began granting veterans up to the full cost of tuition, fees, and books in 2009. While the federal G.I. Bill provides good financial support, the amounts granted do not always cover the full price of college for the veterans, so Yellow Ribbon makes it more accessible.

The university also offers a Veterans Upward Bound program that “offers free services to 120 low-income veterans from the metropolitan Boston area who are the first in their families to pursue a college education, ” according to the school’s website.

“My goal when I went into the Air Force was to stay all 20 years, get retirement, and while I was in it, to go to school, ” Kirchubel said. He explained that there are a number of schools, like the University of Maryland, who have campuses on the bases available for all who want to attend. “I always felt that I needed an education, but my job at the time did not allow me to.”

Kirchubel tried online classes while working for a few months, but then stopped after complications with his schedule. It was not until he left the military that he decided to enroll full-time to get a four-year degree.

“I chose Boston to try something new. I have been to most other parts in the country, but never the Northeast. Also, my wife didn’t mind, so why not? Suffolk was the best option for me, and I like big cities.”

Kirchubel shares that he is pleased to finally have the opportunity to get an education, especially with the benefits that are extended to him.

You might also like

2013 AbelCine Documentary Grant - "Yellow Ribbon" an Old
2013 AbelCine Documentary Grant - "Yellow Ribbon" an Old ...
Year Up Washington, DC Ribbon Cutting
Year Up Washington, DC Ribbon Cutting
RAVPower All-In-One FileHub Wireless N Travel Router USB Micro SD SDXC TF Memory Card Reader Card with 6000 mAh portable charger USB Hard drive Flash Mobile Storage Media Sharing for iOS &android devices
Personal Computer (RAVPower)
  • Media Sharing: transfer photos/movies/music/files between iOS and Android Devices and Desktop/Laptop, between mobile devices and SD Card/USB HDD, and between Micro...
  • Wirelless Router: instantly convert wired network into Wi-Fi (AP/Router/Bridge)
  • External battery: built-in 6 mAh power bank (5V/1A) for charging smartphones
  • Wireless Network: Connect to an existing wifi network, share hotspot access and boost Wi-Fi range
  • Package Include :1 x RAVPower FileHub[WD02], 1 x USB Charging Cable, 1 x User Manual
[All-in-1] RAVPower FileHub Wireless USB HDD SD card File Media Transferring Sharing Travel Router 6000mAh External Battery Wireless Micro SD TF Card Reader, HDD/USB drive wireless accessing, Wireless Storage For iOS/Android Devices, WLAN Hot Spot & NAS File Server.
Personal Computer (RAVPower)
  • Media Sharing: transfer photos/movies/music/files between iOS and Android Devices and Desktop/Laptop, between mobile devices and SD Card/USB HDD, and between Micro...
  • Wirelless Router: instantly convert wired network into Wi-Fi (AP/Router/Bridge)
  • External battery: built-in 6 mAh power bank (5V/1A) for charging smartphones
  • Can connect up to 5 devices (Laptop,Mobile Phone,Tablet/PAD,Desktop etc) at the same time
  • Wireless Storage For Ipad / Iphone5,4s,4 / Samsung Galaxy S4,S3,S2,Tab2,Note2 and All Other IOS/Android Device
TJie Art Hand Painted Mordern Oil Paintings Staff Against Cubes 3, For indoor use 3-piece wall art in abstract style, Hand-painted on canvas with high-quality oil, Geometric shapes in combination of grey red and gold, Dimensions: 44W x 36H in.
Home (TJie Art)
  • Full size:44W x 0.8D x 36H in.-16x32 in. x2 12x36 in. x1-About this artwork:This piece is 100% hand-painted on a gallery-wrapped canvas, ready to hang on any wall.
  • A perfect wall decoration for living room and bed room. Paintings reproduction,Canvas print,stretched with wooden frame on the back. Ready to hang.
  • painted by professional artists with years of oil painting experiences. Hand-painted high quality canvas oil painting. A nice gift for your relatives and friends...
  • Brand:TJie,Color:Red, Gray,Dimensions:44W x 36H in.,Height (in.):36,Style:Classic, Abstract,Theme:Shapes,Type Code:Canvas,Width (in.):44,
  • Materials/Milieu:high quality Thick Canvas, high quality oil or Acrylic colors.

Copyright © . All Rights Reserved