Boom! There’s a flash of light. The truck explodes into the air. It flips. He takes a breath—cracked his ribs. But he’s alive.

One Purple Heart down. One college degree to go.

Nearly one million veterans are pursuing a degree, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. And John Loomis is just one of many, right here at ULM.

Loomis fought in Afghanistan in the National Guard. But now he’ll battle college professors and exams to get his degree in Criminal Justice.

He returned from overseas in September. Since then, this veteran has been making the changes from army life to student life.

Loomis worked convoy security on what he said is the most dangerous road in Afghanistan. His group would drive nonstop for days to deliver supplies to troops.

“I’m a little bit more on edge, I guess,” he said. “When I first got home, I was driving down the road and scanning the sides.”

On his first mission a 200-pound bomb hit his truck, which injured him and everyone else in the vehicle.

Loomis was awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries.

“It was overwhelming,” said Loomis. “A lot of guys get this award, but not all of them are there to receive it.”

Loomis said his change from military life to civilian life has been fairly smooth. He’s still in the Guard. But he’s enjoying his time home.

Jon-Erik Miletello, a senior health care administration major, joined the Army National Guard in 2003. He served in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Miletello was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to his service in the Guard. He said the change from soldier to student is easier for some than for others.

“It can be quite difficult,” he said. “From being around large crowds at a football game to just taking a biology test, I could have a panic attack.”

Miletello said he was faced with a lot of hard choices while stationed in New Orleans.

He blew the whistle on his commanding officers and others, who were misusing their authority to loot and plunder the abandoned city.

Thanks to Miletello and a few others, 24 people were court marshaled for the crimes.

Miletello said he burned a lot of bridges after he reported the thievery, but that there is more to life than the military.

“I wore the uniform for seven years,” he said. “It saved my life, but it’s not a life I wanted to continue.”

Brandon Wade is another veteran who’s looking for his degree.

Wade did Logistics for the Marine Corps in Iraq.

Wade joined the Marines right out of high school in 2003 and served three tours of duty in the Middle East. Now that he’s out of the war, he’s trying to get a degree in computer science.

Wade said he’s more scared of college than he is war.

“When I was in the Marine Corps, worst case scenario was I died,” he said. “If I don’t graduate from college, my life is over.”

He also said living in dorms reminds him a lot of living in barracks on the base. Two people share a room, and a bathroom is split between four people. But he said the barracks were usually cleaner than a college boy’s dorm room.

Wade’s had many people thank him for his service. But he’s also had a few who weren’t thankful for the sacrifice.

When he was in Houston a bartender saw his military I.D. card and thanked him for his service. Then a man across the room spit at him and told him how much he disliked the military.

“The whole reason democracy is great is that if you want to, you can come spit in my face,” he said. “You may catch a butt whooping, but we have free speech. And he has the right to disagree.”

Wade said it’s all about the experience for him and that being in the Marines was just another notch in his belt.

He said he wants to live life and that when it’s all said and done, he wants people to look at him and say that he truly experienced everything life had to offer.