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.

The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Jacob Johnson as UConn’s Veteran of the Month.  Jacob Johnson is a UConn student and he currently serves in the Reserves for the Marines where he is a staff officer at the Training and Education Command Headquarters (USMC). He commissioned in 2009 and served on active duty as a communications officer and a UH-1Y “Huey” pilot. It was through his military experience, that he gained an interest in how leadership and organizational context shape people’s experiences at work. In 2022 Jacob transitioned to the Reserves and started pursuing his PhD in Management and Entrepreneurship (Organizational Behavior) at UConn.

Among all of his experiences in the military, Jacob shares that deploying to Afghanistan in 2011-2012 was one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. He shares that “Directly supporting American men and women in combat creates a special bond that he feels he cannot adequately put it into words.” Second, his experience flying, Jacob says: There’s a great lyric from the song Achilles’ Last Stand: “Oh, to ride the wind / To tread the air above the din”. To do so with a small crew, relying on one another for our lives and to complete the mission – flying helicopters in the Marines was an incredible experience. Last, and most importantly: the people. Jacob says a fellow Marine once told him that when you meet another Marine “it’s like you just fast-forwarded through the first two years of friendship.” He said that about 30 minutes after they met in a bar and had already decided we were friends. Marines are special.

Jacob has two main goals at UConn. First, to be a great husband and dad. He says that juggling those roles while keeping up in a PhD program is a never-ending challenge. And his second goal is to become an excellent scholar and teacher. He wants his research to have meaningful impact on managers in the real world, and he wants to positively impact students in the classroom. He acknowledges that he has a long way to go, but he feels he’s moving in that direction.

Jacob says the best part about being a graduate student at UConn is the support from his department (Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department, School of Business). The faculty are brilliant and eager to help doctoral students get better. Most of all, he’s grateful to have a fantastic advisor, Dr. John Mathieu. He says, “Many academics with distinguished publication records and shelves full of awards are content to rest on their laurels; not John; He always finds time to guide and mentor. I am lucky to work with and learn from him.”

Jacob advises other UConn students to “find something that captures your passion and chase it fearlessly.” He further shares: “Leaving active duty can be psychologically challenging; finding an idea, a problem, a career that really drives you can provide new meaning. And while you’re chasing that passion, ground yourself in your tribe. If you do not have a veteran or community of veterans in your life at UConn, the Veterans and Military Programs office is a great place to start. Finally, invest some of your time and energy in greater causes. One of the ways I stay connected to something bigger than myself is by volunteering with Veterans for All Voters (VAV). VAV is a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to break down partisanship via voting reforms and limiting the influence of money in politics.”

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.

The Office of Veterans & Military Programs (VAMP) at UConn is pleased to recognize Heather Sandler as UConn’s Veteran of the Month.  Heather Sandler is a UConn Alumna, Navy Veteran, and keynote speaker at UConn’s Annual Veterans Day Ceremony this year. Heather Sandler, MSW currently is a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She spent 2 years as a Management Analyst and Employment Coordinator. She previously was employed by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal as a Senior Constituent Liaison for Military and Veteran Affairs.

Mrs. Sandler enlisted and served on active duty in the United States Navy from 1995-2005 completing four deployments in ten years — two while on the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 in support of Operation Southern Watch and two on the USS Harry Truman CVN-75 with Strike Fighter Squadron 37 in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She completed a shore duty rotation to VX-23, Naval Aircraft Test Squadron. During her final deployment on the USS Truman, she served as the night shift Quality Assurance Supervisor. Heather earned three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and three Navy Good Conduct medals during her ten-year enlistment and was honorably discharged in 2005 at the rank of Petty Officer First Class.

While working on the staff of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Mrs. Sandler provided advocacy and assistance to the Veterans and their families of CT with the Department of Defense, Department of Veteran Affairs, and National Personnel Records Center as well as several other government agencies. She serves as a member of the CT Women’s Veterans Network and served as one of Senator Blumenthal’s academy panelists, interviewing candidates for the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She is a member of Senator Christopher Murphy’s Veteran’s Advisory Council.

Heather was the first co-chair and founder of the CT Veterans Engagement Board with General Dan McHale (ret).

She is a past participant of the Veteran’s History Project and speaks to high school and college students regarding her time in the military and has spoken with Daria Sommers at a viewing of her film “Lioness” at Central Connecticut State University, Women in Film Festival. She speaks about her experiences as a woman serving our country and is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities on this topic.

Mrs. Sandler earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Services/Social Services from Elmira College, Elmira, New York and her Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work. This is where she completed work at the CT Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the CT Commission on Aging. She is a graduate of the Nancy Humpherys Campaign school and a prior presenter on training social workers to participate and run for political office.

Mrs. Sandler is a past participant in the Fisher House Fundraiser—Dancing with the Heros, and a volunteer at South Park Inn’s Veteran’s Drop-in Center. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees at the State Department of Veteran Affairs in 2019 by Governor Ned Lamont and continues to serve on the Board. Mrs. Sandler is in the Class of 2020 CT Veteran’s Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Sandler resides in Glastonbury with her husband Saul Sandler since 2006 and is the proud hockey mom of two boys, 18-year-old Joshua and 14-year-old Max. She is the daughter of United States Air Force Veteran, Paul Belanger, and the granddaughter of a United States Navy Veteran Raymond Belanger.

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.