The University’s Kimbel Library has a veterans white table display on the first floor near the Bryan Information Commons, and a display recognizing Native American veterans to complement the “Waccamaw Indian People” exhibit currently showing in the commons.

This year’s Homecoming community service project will be a toiletries drive to benefit Veterans Welcome Home Resource Center (VWHRC) located in Little River, S.C. The supply drive will be held from 3-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10, on the HTC Center concourse. VWHRC works to “assist our local honorably discharged veterans with job placement, filing claims with the Veterans Administration, help those veterans who find themselves in deep financial difficulty, and temporarily shelter those veterans who are homeless until permanent housing can be secured,” according to its mission statement.

CCU’s goal is to donate enough items to fully supply the center with personal care items for 2022. These items will go directly to veterans in the Horry County area. Needed items include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bars of soap, hand soap, deodorant, hair spray, hair color, aspirin, allergy medication, makeup, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, face wash, feminine hygiene items, hand towels, toilet paper, disposable razors, shaving cream, and trash bags.

On Thursday, Nov. 11, director of CCU’s Military and Veteran Services (MVS) Randy Burk and his staff will be available on Prince Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to share information with student veterans about resources and services available.

CCU supports its veteran students year-round. The University’s Military and Veteran Services provides a support network to facilitate the transition of veterans, military service members, and dependents to CCU. The office also seeks to understand and address unique student support needs while attending the University. The office also processes VA enrollment certifications for students attending classes on campus and online. As a special recognition from the MVS, all veterans and veteran-affiliated students who graduate from CCU receive a commemorative coin as well as a branch-specific stole to wear during commencement.

CCU also offers a U.S. Army ROTC program; the United Bank Center for Military and Veteran Studies, which collects and preserves oral histories of veterans; and the Boeing Military to Civilian Success Program in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration. The program assists service members, veterans, and their spouses with individualized training for career advancement.

CCU earned a spot on the 2021 Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges list. More than 300 schools participated in the latest Best for Vets: Colleges survey, which included a variety of questions seeking details about the school’s costs, programs, policies, and services that impact military-connected students. Data from the U.S. Departments of Education, Veterans Affairs, and Defense also were evaluated.

In 2017, Coastal Carolina was designated a Purple Heart University by the Military Order of the Purple Heart; and, in 2016, CCU became the only university in South Carolina to install a permanent Missing Man Chair of Honor at one of its athletic fields. The University currently has two chairs, one at Springs Brooks Stadium and one at Brooks Stadium, which are home to the Chanticleer baseball and football teams respectively. In November 2019, the University partnered with a local DAV chapter to install a permanent POW/MIA table inside the CINO Grille.