Pamela Pfeil, associate director of Military and Veterans Affairs at Stony Brook University, did not always see herself in military service. Initially planning a career in music education, her direction changed after the events of September 11, 2001.
“I was 16 and already looking at music colleges,” she remembers. “Then 9/11 happened. One of my closest friends lost her dad, a firefighter. It really made me ask, ‘what can I do?’”
Pfeil encountered the Army National Guard Band at a college fair, which offered her an opportunity to combine her interests in music and service. “It felt like the perfect fit,” she says. “I could use my talent as a musician and still serve my country.”
She enlisted shortly after turning 17 with parental consent and deployed to Tikrit, Iraq at age 19 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I turned 20 there,” she says. “When I came home, I couldn’t even get into a bar — I was still underage. I didn’t feel like I had anything in common with anyone my age. I’d lived a whole different life.”
Returning home proved challenging for Pfeil without the support system found on active-duty bases. She credits Stony Brook University for helping her adjust: “I found people who helped me through it,” she says. “That experience is what drives me now — to be that support for others.”
Upon joining the Office of Veterans Affairs at Stony Brook, Pfeil aimed to move beyond administrative tasks to create a more inclusive environment for veterans on campus. “I wanted to create something holistic — not just helping with forms, but helping people find their place,” she says.
Her efforts led to the opening of the Military-Connected Student Lounge at Stony Brook University, providing veterans with lockers, study spaces, kitchen facilities, and a sense of community on campus. “Our students have a place now. They have a sense of belonging,” she says. “They can meet other people like them, people who get it.”
Pfeil also initiated mentorship programs such as Vets-for-Vets and established liaisons between student veterans and university staff or faculty members across campus. “Our students don’t just have an advisor,” she says. “They have ‘Dan’, they have ‘Pamela.’ They know real people who know them back.”
In addition to supporting student veterans, Pfeil serves as interim director of the Stony Brook Marching Band—a group she helped found after returning from Iraq—where she continues to foster community through music.
“I was one of the founding members of the band after coming back from Iraq,” she says. “Now I get to lead it. Most of our students aren’t music majors — they just love playing. That’s what I love most — seeing that spark.”
Reflecting on her journey from soldier to mentor and musician, Pfeil said: “For me, it’s about making sure no one has to go through that transition alone,” she says. “If I can help someone find their rhythm again — that’s what it’s all about.”
