Base Camp

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Posted on June 17, 2026 by

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With 13,500 active-duty military personnel, more than 26,700 National Guard and Reserve members, and 339,300 veterans living in Alabama, not to mention major military bases just east and west along the Gulf Coast, South’s Office of Military Services represents a significant tool for increasing enrollment while serving members of the military community. Now, a new home is planned to serve a growing mission.

More than 1,000 military-affiliated students attend South, including active-duty and Reserve personnel, veterans and dependents. The office, currently in the Academic Services Center, energetically recruits such students. It helps them take advantage of financial assistance and other benefits they’re eligible for, and offers support during their time as members of the University community.

South upgraded its military outreach in 2024 and signed up retired Army sergeant major David Blair as director of the program. The new home, a 7,200-square-foot addition to the ROTC Building (opened in 2024 on Aubrey Green Drive), will include a lounge, a computer lab, study rooms and other amenities for students, as well as office and instructional space.

In a nod to the program’s success, plans also include room for future growth.

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