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Hello, I am Russ Chavez AKA "Smoke" I am the director for Veterans Affairs here at South Dakota State University. I served in the U.S. Army for 21 years in various capacities to include senior military instructor at ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ Army ROTC, drill instructor, senior parachutist (Airborne Operations), special weapons. I was and always will be an Artilleryman at heart, hence the "Smoke" nickname. I've served all over the U.S. and outside the U.S. to include Germany, France, South Korea.

My passion is helping Veterans and Family Members transition from military life to civilian life as seamlessly and successfully as possible. As the director of the Veterans Affairs Office, we strive to provide quality programming, student success counseling and flawless GI Bill certifying.