Friendship serves as a vital pillar of academic success, providing crucial support and fostering resilience among college students. For student service members and veterans (SSM/V), the transition to college life presents unique challenges that can hinder their ability to form these vital connections. While the importance of friendship is well-documented for traditional college students, there is limited research on how SSM/V experience friendship during their academic transition. This qualitative investigation aims to explore the role of friendship in SSM/V journey from military service to college life through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. An interpretative phenomenological analysis, informed by the theoretical framework of Self-Psychology and Veteran Critical Theory, was conducted to interpret these narratives. The findings reveal four key themes: a) friendships as a valuable support system in the transition to college life, b) friendship dynamics and experiences within the college environment, c) navigating unique considerations when establishing friendships, and d) barriers to friendship-building. The study highlights how friendships contribute to SSM/V adaptation to college life and academic success. Recommendations include fostering collaboration among faculty, staff, administrators, and veteran resource centers to develop targeted programs that facilitate friendship-building, such as social events and peer mentoring initiatives. Additionally, universities should prioritize creating inclusive environments that encourage interaction between SSM/V and their civilian peers. This research also calls for further studies on the unique experience of SSM/V in building and maintaining meaningful relationships.