When Air Force veteran Jacari Miller returned to home soil after a tour in Afghanistan, his feet were on the ground but his thoughts were still overseas with those suffering. Troubled by the hostility and poverty he witnessed while serving in Afghanistan, Miller nearly lost his faith but regained it and continued his pursuit of a Christian higher education.

As the oldest student athlete on campus, 28-year-old Miller, a guard on Biola’s men’s basketball team, has become like a big brother to many of his teammates — a role he is overjoyed to fill.

Traveling Full-Circle

Looking back, Miller sees that he matured in the military, becoming more disciplined and thankful— two qualities he has brought to Biola. However, that time was also the setting for a personal crisis. The upsetting contrast between home and unfriendly Afghan territory clouded his faith.

“I had to search deep down inside and find myself again,” said Miller.

He traveled to Afghanistan after several years in the Air Force, which included a six-month overseas tour in Turkey. Working in security forces for the Air Force, he was accustomed to guarding, patrolling and enforcing, but Afghanistan was different. The environment was more dangerous, demanding and restrictive for the military and difficult for the local people.

“If there’s a God, why is this place so different from all the others? Why are the people treated so badly?” asked Miller.

In Turkey, he was able to travel outside the U.S. base to explore like a tourist. Off-base motorcycle excursions, hikes and bike rides would be needless peril in Afghanistan though, according to Miller. The incoming vehicles and people Miller helped inspect were enough risk, not to mention nighttime mortar attacks.

Miller’s tradition of reading a Daily Bread booklet tapered off, as did his prayers. His faith in God was not necessarily gone, but he became angry and aloof. After more than six months he was back on home soil, experiencing a dissonance between his location and mind.

“I wasn’t back in America,” said Miller. “My mind was somewhere else constantly. I just couldn’t focus or I couldn’t be who I was before.”

Loud noises and companionship were now unappealing to Miller, and so was the idea of counseling. Basketball, though, was still a favorite pastime that provided an escape and had been a continual hope during his military years. Even in Afghanistan, one of Miller’s positive memories is his team’s triumph in a basketball tournament.

At Vandenberg, Miller reconnected with a local basketball coach, Sherman Vernon, who motivated him to train and improve in the gym and gave him personal mentorship and prayer. Coach Vernon involved Miller with J-SMOOV, a Christian organization that promotes achievement through athletic youth programs. While assisting coaches of middle and high school students Miller found himself becoming a role model.

“I was just trying to be there for them like people were there for me when I was young,” said Miller.

Through giving back, the veteran could see he was coming full-circle and he craved further transformation.

Coming to a New Court

After his six years in the military, Miller decided to finish his degree — something he began before the Air Force at a small Florida college. He started the second part of his educational journey at Biola in August, pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

Biola was able to help bridge the financial gap Miller faced between the actual cost of tuition and his assistance through the post-9/11 GI Bill® through granting him funds made available by the new Ahmanson Veteran Scholarship Initiative. Just this year, the Ahmanson Foundation opened 1.25 million dollars to benefit veterans at 25 private schools in California, including Biola. This year, 17 veterans at Biola received the scholarship.

The post-9/11 GI Bill®, signed in 2009, is a significant financial help for Miller and other veterans. Among the people he knows with completed military terms, Miller estimates that 90 percent have moved on to attain education. In the 2012 fiscal year, post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits were disbursed to 646,302 people, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Miller eagerly envisions graduating from Biola and giving his mom his degree as a gift of appreciation for the many years she provided and invested in his life.

“One of my biggest things I dream about is handing my mom my degree, seeing her face, and I just can’t wait for that to happen,” said Miller.

 

Written by Trevor Gerdes, media relations intern. For more information, contact Jenna Bartlo, media relations specialist, at 562.777.4061 or jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.