Veterans sail in Florida Keys

Fourteen PCC Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, as well as two advisers, set sails to the wind for six days during spring break in the Florida Keys.Surrounded by clear, sparkling green water, they worked together 24/7, learning to sail two rugged 30-foot sailboats.

By day, they sailed with the wind and rowed the boat when there was none, according to the veterans that participated.

At night, supplies filled the boat's floor and the veterans slept above, head to toe, on top of the oars laid across the boat in a row.

The trip was an Outward Bound course, funded by the Sierra Club and other organizations.

"It exceeded my expectations," said 25-year-old history major and Army veteran Hrair Petrosyan.

"It enlightened me that I'm not alone in facing the transition [from the military to civilian life]," said Petrosyan.

He said he'd made several more friends and looked forward to the support and camaraderie within the Veterans Club as he moved forward.

Veteran and economics major Yi Ding, 25, found the trip very beneficial.

Not only did Yi learn how to sail, he also learned how to swim.

Yi began by practicing with a vest near his boat. By the end of the trip, he had learned how to swim on his own.

Criminal justice major Magdalena Sanchez, 26, said she hadn't expected the trip to be so raw.

"We were stripped from everyday amenities like cell phones, computers and normal bathroom use," she said.

Sanchez said being one of just three women who participated in the trip reflected her experience in the Navy.

"I was used to working with only males so it wasn't unchartered territory for me, " she said.

Also akin to being in the Navy, she said, was having no time alone.

"We were together 24/7," said Sanchez. "I felt that camaraderie I had in the military.

"After the trip we had bonded," she said. "We're brothers and sisters and we're there to support each other."

Said Veterans Club president Carol Calandra, "I felt so honored to go since I'm not a vet."

Calandra plans to transfer to CSU Los Angeles in the fall. Her major: rehabilitation and counseling for veterans.

Learning from her sailboat mates about the transitional issues veterans experience while adjusting to college helped her better "understand their struggles from day to day," she said.

Harold Martin, veteran adviser and professor of "Boots to Books," a course specifically for veterans, said the trip was an overwhelmingly successful event.

He called the trip a rare opportunity to get away from the demands of modern life.

"I enjoyed recapturing the mindset of the military," Martin said. "Everyone had to work together."

Quite literally, he added, they "were all in the same boat.