ABSTRACT
According to Parker Palmer (2007), “to teach is to create a space in which the community of truth is practiced” (p. 92). A space such as this respects the instructor, the student, and the subject matter. It establishes an environment of trust that “can express itself in endless varieties, depending on the identity and integrity of the teacher” (Palmer, 2007, p. 118). This space “becomes environment when it is stretched to include a broader sense of place, as well as the people who participate and the culture in which these elements are situated” (Warger, EduServe, & Dobbin, 2009, p. 6). The environment should be accessible to all students—physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. This book has described the intense personal transformations that are cultivated by the military. Members of the armed forces are trained to overcome physical, emotional, and behavioral barriers to achieve their mission. Higher education must also consider these three aspects of environment in order to create a space in which student veterans can become fully engaged in the community of truth that Parker describes.
