On Tuesday, San Diego State hosted guest speaker retired Lt. Col. Dave Grossman in celebration of current and past military service members for the upcoming Veteran’s Day holiday.

Grossman, an internationally recognized scholar and former soldier, lectured on his book, “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society,” an analysis of the processes veterans deal with when killing another human being in combat.

In his book, Grossman reveals evidence that most people have a fearful response to violence and that active soldiers must be specifically trained in order to be mentally prepared to kill. Grossman also details the physiological and psychological effects that violent environments produce on soldiers, ranging from tunnel vision to post-traumatic stress disorder.

During the lecture, Grossman explained the psychology of the act of killing and current military and law enforcement attempts to understand and deal with the consequences of such violence.

Grossman also discussed the importance of integrating veterans back into society as a means of healing and support.

“I think the key thing to understand is that the vast majority of our veterans come back stronger from their experience … And this vast majority of our veterans need one thing—they need jobs,” Grossman said. “Hire a vet. They have experience, they have maturity and they have work ethic. The truth is, they are the best our society has to give.”

SDSU is home to the nation’s first on-campus housing facility created exclusively for veteran use. The Veterans House offers an on-campus living experience for SDSU veterans and active-duty students who are members of the Student Veterans Organization.

Assistant professor of military science and U.S. Army Capt. Marc Jason said Grossman’s lecture is an important part of raising awareness about veterans’ stories.

“There are student veterans among us; they are your peers and your classmates, that have served and fought, they have seen and done extraordinary things,” Jason said. “It’s important to realize that we are not fallen heroes or broken warriors. We are productive citizens. We come back wanting to continue our lives and serve our country in other ways and share our experience.”

Military science instructor and U.S. Army Sgt. Eduardo Buelvas echoed Jason’s sentiments.

“All these preconceived notions and stereotypes that the general public has about veterans are wrong,” Buelvas said. “People need to do their own research. All we want to contribute is good.”

Read about how SDSU makes a difference for veterans. 

Photo by Wesley Beights, staff photographer