Still in touch years after graduation, alumni veterans stick with service

Connected through the UCLA Veterans Resource Center, service members with diverse backgrounds are devoting their professional lives to service. In honor of Veterans Day, Bruin veterans share how they transformed loss into a spirit of altruism.

Taking service to the streets near UCLA, Army veteran is someone to lean on

Psychiatrist Kristen Lee's patients receive in-home care. Their homes, though, are not traditional settings.

"I do street psychiatry, so I meet homeless patients where they are," Dr. Lee said.

She's unfazed by homeless encampments, Skid Row and shelters.

"I see people in their most vulnerable moments," Lee said. "I can offer them a glimmer of hope so they can get through it. They need someone to lean on during those incredibly tough times."

Lee recently completed her psychiatry residency at UCLA, capping 12 years of postgraduate education. A recipient of the prestigious David Geffen Medical Scholarship, Lee settled not far from campus and operates a multi-faceted practice in Santa Monica.

In addition to private practice, she provides psychiatric services to unhoused persons through a nonprofit organization that addresses poverty, mental illness and addiction.

Lee is inspired by the memory of a military colleague, who became her close friend during their service in Iraq during the second Gulf War.

"I'm familiar with grief, and she's one of the bigger reasons I do this, Lee said. "I wish she could have been saved. She battled a lot of demons. If I can help one person not go down that road, help them through whatever pain, it's more than worth it."

The first in her family to join the military, Lee was born and raised in the Midwest, where her father raised four children on a janitor's income. She signed up for the Army in her late teens.

"One of the first things I got was a $24 meal voucher so I could eat at the airport," Lee recalled. "That was my first plane ride, and I used the voucher to buy my first-ever steak and shrimp. I felt like I had won the lottery. Beyond that, I saw the military as an amazing opportunity."

Lee served as a combat medic in Iraq. She was based near Kirkuk and sometimes found herself the only female in a giant tent filled with cots.

"There was no personal space, but I was so young I just rolled with it," Lee said. "I was with combat engineers. They'd come to me with medical complaints, emotional issues, seeking relationship advice. They were looking for a female take, and it was interesting to be in that space at 19 years old."

Few American 19-year-olds find themselves in war zones. A few months after her arrival in Iraq, her unit lost five members to a roadside bomb.

"It overshadows all the little inconveniences," she said. "It changes things. I knew I might be somebody's only chance at survival. I was thirsty for knowledge. I took it very seriously."

After her deployment, Lee completed her undergraduate work in Colorado. Thanks to a generous scholarship, she chose UCLA for her graduate studies in 2016. In Westwood, she connected with the Veterans Resource Center.

"I walked in and immediately felt at home," Lee recalled. "With our military backgrounds, we had each other's backs even when we didn't yet know each other. It became a sanctuary for me, a place for peers and comrades. We still get together several times a year. It feels good to have those people in my life."

From volunteering to combat, Bruin grad has never stopped serving

Inspired partly by grandparents who served in World War II, Brandon Hervey has always found a way to be of service.

He was still a teenager when he watched televised images of the towers collapsing on 9/11. Inspired by firefighters who ran into the World Trade Center to save those trapped inside, he joined his local fire department in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

"I felt helpless when I saw the destruction, but I was inspired by the firefighters' devotion to saving lives," Hervey recalled. "It was a brotherhood, and I wanted to serve my hometown. I was too young for the fire department, so I signed up as a volunteer and served three years."

Three days after graduating from high school in 2004, Hervey joined the U.S. Marine Corps.

After completing training at Perris Island in South Carolina, he deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He saw combat near the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah.

"There was conflict between religious factions at the time, and we were working to take down terrorist networks," Hervey said. "We were trying to bring stability to the region. There were a lot of firefights and improvised explosive devices."

About five months into his first deployment, six of his fellow Marines were killed by sniper fire and roadside bombs before Hervey was wounded.

"We were protecting a bridge near Fallujah, and we came under attack from another ambush," Hervey said. "We were taking heavy automatic weapons fire from insurgents in multiple directions. A grenade exploded and hit me. I took shrapnel in my face, right thigh and calf. They flew me by helicopter to a surgical hospital at Al-Taqaddum Air Base. After two hours of surgery, they sent me to Kuwait to heal. This all happened during my first tour."

It wouldn't be his last. After recovering, Hervey returned for his second deployment, which was focused on support and stability operations (SASO)

"We were rebuilding infrastructure, and that was rewarding," Hervey said. "We did a lot of good rebuilding their city. I reenlisted for another four years and became a combat instructor."

Hervey trained troops headed for Iraq and Afghanistan, serving eight years in the Marine Corps. When he left the military in 2012, he faced a difficult transition.

"I'd heard from friends that it wouldn't be easy," Hervey said. "It's like starting from scratch. I was a rifleman and that's not a transferable skill. I struggled with PTSD, trying to find a purpose, feeling low at times. My mom said, 'Give it time. You served eight years, and it might take another eight years to readjust. Don't feel like you have to have it all figured out.'"

Hervey enrolled at Pasadena City College. While he succeeded academically, he sometimes felt out of place.

"You age in the Marine Corps, calling in airstrikes, leading a platoon," Hervey said. "Other people who aren't in the military aren't doing that. I felt old at times."

Hervey graduated with an associate degree in sociology and behavioral science, then earned a bachelor's in sociology and social justice at Cal State Northridge. He graduated with honors, then headed to UCLA for a master's in social welfare.

"I knew that path was for me," Hervey said. "I enjoyed helping people my entire life. I finally had a direction and getting into UCLA was a thrill. I never could have imagined it."

Hervey found connection at the UCLA Veterans Resource Center and graduated with a master's in social work in 2020. He still stays in touch with Bruin veterans, and works in suicide prevention with the Veterans Affairs. He's a runner who practices mindfulness and meditation.

"It's important work, it's rewarding and I believe in the mission," Hervey said. "I work to have an impact and help people lead the lives they want."

Putting service before self, Lucas Piñon conquered his Everest

When he surveys his native Coachella Valley landscape, Lucas Piñon sees things worth caring for and protecting.

The descendant of farmworkers who settled in the Coachella Valley, Piñon excelled in athletics but struggled academically in high school. A close friend had visions of military service, and Pinion followed suit. His family had roots in the Marine Corps and Army, but he pursued a path in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces.

A deployment took him to Afghanistan, where he landed on Christmas Day of 2012 at just 22. He was part of the force securing high-value infrastructure, including bases and aircraft.

"Those years were shaped by war," he said. "We didn't really understand all the consequences at the time."

After his deployment ended, Piñon enrolled at College of the Desert, close to home.

"I had always been drawn to academia, but it seemed like climbing Mount Everest," he said. "My commander at the time said I should go to college so I could commission as an officer. The military had built my confidence, so when I returned, I found I could focus and grasp it better."

Piñon quickly grew a network of military veteran companions, including two who would play pivotal roles in his life.

"I looked to my right; it was a young lady," Piñon recalled. "I got her number and she's now my wife and we have a family."

A second veteran, an army veteran, proved to be a close friend and academic partner.

"We worked for weeks on a research paper about military leadership," Piñon said. "Two weeks before the presentation, he stopped coming to class. He didn't show up for the presentation, so I did it by myself."

Inquiring about his friend's whereabouts, Piñon was informed that his friend had died after struggling with mental health and substance issues.

"He'd helped me through my journey," Piñon said. "We'd climbed that mountain together. He was my partner and he provided confidence and support."

Persevering despite the loss, Piñon continued his academic journey and transferred to UCLA in 2017, where he attended a Bruin Day presentation led by Veterans Resource Center director Emily Dahlem.

"Emily opened the door for me, and I went right to work at the VRC," Piñon said. "Planning those events, welcoming other veterans who were transferring in. I actually found UCLA to be easier because I put myself there and committed to not only my academic success, but I wanted to see everyone around me succeed."

An English course at UCLA called upon Piñon to write about his experience in the military.

"They had us write about our feelings toward service," he said. "It was so challenging at first, but I started to enjoy putting words and thoughts on paper and presenting that to other veterans. It brought a different feeling, sharing my story, my experience, opening my eyes and connecting with other veterans."

Piñon had intended to steer a course toward Air Force Officer Training School after graduating from UCLA in 2019 with a degree in history. His path took several turns.

Law school was a potential destination before fatherhood made him reconsider. He was accepted into the Riverside County Sheriff's office. The pandemic delayed his academy start date, leaving just enough time for one more turn in the road.

An opportunity with a congressman's office led to his career destination, working as a field representative while starting a family.

Early in his work at the legislative level, Piñon dove into an effort to expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxins from burn pits and other toxin exposure.

"We start presenting it to local veteran organizations, national organizations and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)," Piñon said. "We picked up a lot of steam; it got signed into law in August of 2022. That was a moment where I saw something originate at the starting point and become a federal law that helped millions. That was monumental for me."

Now running for public office, Piñon is reflective about his journey.

"I've never been politically inclined, and the political discourse of our time is rough," Piñon said. "Service before self is a core value of the Air Force," Piñon said. "I want to see everyone around me succeed."

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