The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Justin Tomlinson as UConn’s Veteran of the Month.  Justin Tomlinson is currently a POC cadet and he serves as the Physical Fitness Officer in the Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) Program at UConn.  He has the unique experience of having served in the Air Force as an enlisted service member, prior to joining UConn’s AFROTC program. His favorite Part of AFROTC is he gets the chance to continuously mentor young officer candidates and share his experiences from active duty. One of his most memorable experiences from serving in the Air Force on active duty was being one of the airmen to help plan and execute an airshow for his previous base in 2024.

Justin’s primary goals at UConn is not only to graduate, but to be an excellent scholar and cadet. He hopes to commission with his bachelor’s in economics and be selected as a contracting officer (which is also his previous enlisted AFSC – Contracting). He says he enjoys all the friends he’s made so far, whether through AFROTC or just being a student on campus. Additionally, the change of pace from active duty, the freedom, and being back home has made settling in and his time here at UConn so memorable.

Justin’s advice to military-affiliated students at UConn is: “to keep inspiring others and keep moving upwards and onwards, no matter how overwhelming school and/or family life can get, keep pushing towards your goals.  Being a non-traditional student with a different perspective, lifestyle, and responsibilities from your peers can be challenging and a great problem to have, but these differences can also serve as an inspiration to those around you.”

If you would like to nominate a student, faculty, or staff member for “Veteran of the Month,” please contact Nikki Eberly at with the name of the person and reasons for your nomination.