Ronald Welch ’92, M ’07, leads fight for veterans’ services

After 45 years of either serving in uniform or working to support veterans and their families, retired Brig. Gen. Ronald Welch ’92, M ’07 has a new mission. The U.S. Army and Connecticut Army National Guard veteran was nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont in May to serve as the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I will fight to ensure we have the proper programs, services and outreach to educate our members (on) how to apply for benefits and services they and their families have earned for their service and sacrifice,” he said. Welch said his goal is “to serve those that have served our great state and nation.” 

Welch enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 in his senior year at East Lyme High School. He served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, WA, for four years. In 1981, he was seriously injured in a line-of-duty parachute accident, and he returned to Connecticut. After significant physical therapy and surgeries, he enrolled in a community college and then the Officer Candidate School of the Connecticut Army National Guard. When education requirements changed, he needed a bachelor’s degree to be promoted to captain and beyond.

“ECSU had an exceptional reputation of working with service members in degree completion programs,” Welch said. He enrolled and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1992. As time went on, he completed several military school and specialty skills courses, earning promotions, and was encouraged to enroll in a master’s degree program. 

“After researching other universities and programs, I once again found ECSU to be the best fit,” he said. Professor Emerita Elizabeth Scott, then dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies, “patiently explained the flow of the program and was always available as a mentor to assist if needed,” he said. “This was critical for me as I had to step away from the program for a year while I was deployed to Afghanistan.” 

He served 2005-2006 as a senior American adviser to an Afghan National Army infantry brigade in eastern Afghanistan and advised units of the Connecticut National Guard to prepare them for deployments in Afghanistan.  

Like many others who served, Welch faced reintegration challenges when he returned to the United States. Despite these hurdles, he  found that “the master’s program was a tremendous learning experience … The interaction with the staff, faculty and fellow students was tremendous,” he said. He earned his master’s degree from Eastern in 2007 and a master’s degree in of strategic studies in 2011 from the U.S. Army War College.  

He was appointed chief of staff of the Connecticut National Guard in 2008 and in 2012 became commander of the 85th Troop Command. In 2014, he was selected as the director of the joint staff and in 2015 was promoted to brigadier general of the line. He retired from the military in 2017 and then worked with nonprofits serving veterans and those with disabilities. 

As commissioner, Welch is drawing on his years of experience to support veterans and their families. “The service member thinks problems will get better with time, so they don’t seek help, primarily out of pride or embarrassment of being judged by others,” he said.  

The challenges they face include PTSD, depression, anxiety, employment issues, substance abuse, relationship issues “or just struggling to blend back into what others may consider normal society,” he said.