United States Marine Corps veteran and Syracuse University senior Charlie Poag enlisted in the Marine Corps in the summer of 2001 and completed boot camp two weeks prior to the tragic events of 9/11.

Charlie was originally assigned as a combat camera Marine and would ultimately achieve the rank of Staff Sergeant and become a Communications Strategy and Operations Chief. In 2004, he deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unity to Oruzgan province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Charlie’s first introduction to Syracuse happened in 2008 when he was selected to attend the Military Visual Journalism Program at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. There he met his wife, Cari, and they have two children, daughter – Avery, and son Rowan.

After separating from the Marine Corps in 2017, Charlie attends Syracuse University where he is a senior at the Newhouse School studying Public Relations, and he is also the President of the Student Veteran Organization.