Dave Closson was born in Illinois and chose to serve his country in Iraq. Now he chooses to make Noblesville his home and to serve others in the private sector. A big part of that service is his work to help veterans in college apply the organizational skills and mindset of their military experience toward the goal of attaining academic and career success.
Closson
When asked why he settled in Hamilton County, Closson told The Reporter, “I really love the area. I was living in a small, rural town in Illinois: Charleston. Whenever I would travel over to the Indianapolis area, I thought to myself, ‘Let’s move.’ I did my research and really liked the north side up here.”
During his junior year at college at Eastern Illinois University, Closson was deployed to Iraq as part of his service to the Illinois National Guard. He had enlisted in the Guard during his junior year in high school. Closson was deployed as an infantry team-leader and was also a member of a recon sniper team.
Coming home after a year of combat deployment, Closson struggled with both isolation and the effects of his experiences overseas.
“Having been deployed during my junior year, after my year-long deployment, I returned home and jumped right back into college during the fall of 2006,” Closson said. “All of my friends – my cohort – had graduated in May of ’06. So I didn’t really have a core network of friends or support. I struggled with PTSD, drinking, and then years later I found out I had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to being blown up a few times.”
Closson’s phrase, “being blown up a few times,” was said in a very matter-of-fact tone as if he placed little significance on it as part of his story.
When asked to clarify, Closson told The Reporter, “Within my first week of being in the country, our Humvee was directly hit with and IED [Improvised Explosive Device]. Welcome to Iraq, right? There were several other near-miss explosions as well involving rockets, mortars and IEDs.”
Back in college, Closson found himself struggling with PTSD, drinking and his then-undiagnosed TBI symptoms.
“The more I started to focus on personal growth, the less those things impacted my life,” Closson said. “When I say personal growth, I mean being structured, goal setting, time management and total wellness: Exercise, eating healthy and getting good quality sleep. I pulled that discipline that came from being in the military and applied it with intentionality to all aspects of my life. I linked it right to the military operational order, which is what we would use to plan a mission.”
According to Closson’s website, StudentVeteranSuccess.com, “An Operations Order, often abbreviated to OPORD, is a plan format meant to assist units with the conduct of military operations. An OPORD describes the situation the unit faces, the mission of the unit, and what supporting activities the unit will conduct to achieve its mission.”
Closson said he used the OPORD to structure his days to make sure he was staying both on task in the short term and on track in the long term for his goals.
“It also served as an accountability system for me too,” Closson said. “It was a friendly nudge or reminder when I would open that to look at my schedule and say, ‘Oh, crud! I haven’t worked out yet today.” Or, ‘Oh yes, these were my three top priorities for the day and I need to focus on those.’”
The outcome of his own success was Closson’s impetus to share his method with others.
“As I have grown and finished school I have learned and explored ways to share that with others. That is what led to creating and publishing the official student veteran planner.”
Noblesville resident Dave Closson has been recognized as a VFW #StillServing Hero for his ser-vice to the military and veterans. Dave designed the Student Veteran Daily Planner as a military-based guide for success in college and life. (Graphic provided)
According to his website, the planner is “formatted to organize your college mission into five easily trackable areas: Situation, Mission, Execution, Sustainment, and Command/Control. You will develop a plan for the academic year, short- and long-term goals, and a plan for each day. You’ll have a simple and organized way to track your tasks, schedule, PT, meal prep, and track ongoing work.”
The planner offers specific sections for homework, exercise and even buddy checks. There is a built-in long- and short-term goal tracking system. Closson said he has found that although he’s been out of college for years, the same structures prove effective in his daily life. Student veterans in Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma have used the guide, and Closson is designing an online class as a follow-up.
Closson’s dedicated service to the military and veterans led him to be chosen as one of the few Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #StillServing Heroes nationwide. VFW invites all veterans to submit their stories at vfw.org/stillserving.
According to the VFW, veterans volunteer 25 percent more time, are 17 percent more likely to make a monetary donation, and are 30 percent more likely to participate in local organizations than the civilian population.
“Veterans truly exemplify the best of America,” said William “Doc” Schmitz, VFW national commander. “They are dedicated to giving of themselves, and the skills and values they develop in the military only deepen their desire to better themselves, their communities and their country through service. We are grateful for the millions of members who have made service a hallmark of the VFW and we’re excited for the veterans who are joining now to carry this forward in new ways.”
You can learn more about the Students Veteran Daily Planner and see if the program is right for you at StudentVeteranSuccess.com.