On Veterans Day, Austin Community College District (ACC) honors those who served in our nation’s military. The college is honored that hundreds of veterans have chosen to work or explore a new career at ACC. 

In recognition and appreciation of their service and dedication, ACC hosted a week of grab-and-go breakfasts, lunches, and snacks across the District during ACC Veterans Week, serving more than 80 military-connected Riverbats throughout the event.

We also asked some of them about their service and what Veterans Day means to them.

Mark Harden, U.S. Army CW3 (Ret.), MBA

Mark Harden has been an adjunct professor in the Management Department for 24 years. He managed ACC’s Veterans Affairs Department from spring 2000 until December 2022. Before that, he served in the active-duty Army for more than 24 years, both enlisted and as a Warrant Officer. He shares a story about his time at ACC:

During my tenure with ACC, I managed to produce two books of poetry. The first, “Losing Mogadishu,” was released in 2015.  I actually read from it at the grand opening of the Veterans Resource Center. The second work, “Breaking Contact,” was released in 2022. 

Both books are filled with short narratives about ACC’s veterans, advisors, staff, etc. I dedicated “Breaking Contact” to ACC. The VA office would have not had the success it did—and still does—without the entire school’s support.

While I don’t miss the commute to Highland, I do miss my interactions with ACC’s great employees; I especially miss contact with the veteran student body. Fortunately, I always have veterans in my classes.

Bryan Port

Bryan Port serves as the Director of the Center for Government and Civic Service (CGCS) located at ACC’s Rio Grande Campus. He also teaches history as an adjunct professor. He has worked at ACC for almost one year after retiring from a 30-year government career. 

 In which branch of the military did you serve and for how long?
I served five years on active duty with the Army and then another 25 years as a federal civil servant in the Department of Defense. 

What was your rank and/or position(s)?
I left the military as a Sergeant. And I retired from the civil service as a GS-15 (the civilian equivalent of a Colonel). 

Where did you serve?
I served more than 16 years overseas in locations including Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan with temporary assignments in more than 24 other countries. Domestically, I served in the D.C. area with training assignments in multiple locations. My final assignment was in the Austin area at Army Futures Command. 

Why did you join the military?
I believe it is important to serve one’s country. Despite its many flaws, the United States was and continues to hold significant promise to contribute to the progress of humankind. I believe the U.S. military has often been at the forefront of those contributions to include racial and gender equality. I also saw the military as an institution that promotes many of the values that I believe in, and that provides unique training, professional development, and personal development opportunities. 

What does Veterans Day mean to you and how do you celebrate it?
I always spend time reflecting on people who have served, sacrificed, and lost their lives. I include not only veterans, but those who have worked with the U.S. military and generally those who have died in wars – whether they were in the military or civilians. And I reflect on what I have personally done in the service of the United States.  

How did the skills you learned in the military translate into your life/education/career afterward?
There are too many skills and experiences that are so much a part of me that it is hard to be precise, and impossible to list all of the ways that these skills and experiences translate into life, education, and career. What I learned as a leader and through formal leadership training is absolutely key. There is not a day that goes by that I do not draw substantially on these skills. I learned not only about leadership, but also about humility, which also is a big part of how I continue to serve and to work as an educator. There is just too much that I carry with me based on my service … I couldn’t do what I do today had I not served in the military. 

How do you stay connected to the military?
Friends.