The Learned Leader: Advancing Your Education on Foreign Soil
By Colleen Caulfield
As the power of technology grows, the U.S. soldier in Kosovo and the U.S. airman in the South Pacific have more opportunities for educational advancement than ever before.
Indeed, as deployments lengthen among all members of the United States armed services, thousands of members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines each year have the chance to take courses for college credit, study for the LSAT or GRE, or learn more about subjects that will enhance their day-to-day work on-base or in a combat theater.
Looking Back
Three decades ago, educational options for members of the military were comprised largely of correspondence courses, with service personnel receiving course materials then completing assignments and returning them by mail, with little or no contact with teachers or classmates.
Personnel had the option to visit education centers on-post to find out what classes were needed to complete a degree or pursue a course of study, but the range of courses available was limited and the number of colleges and universities with educational offerings were few.
Complicating these limited educational options were the demands of servicemen and servicewomen’s day jobs—invariably highly consuming whether or not the individual in question was serving in combat.
Finally, there were the other issues of the transient nature of a military career, the varying sizes of military bases, and the varied interests of military personnel. Even if the economics class someone needed to complete a degree was being taught on a military base, it would likely not progress if only two other people signed up for it or if too many of the personnel were deployed mid-year.
Today’s Opportunities
Fast-forward to 2008, when the range of opportunities for active-duty military personnel is much greater than it was 30 years ago, driven largely by advances in technology:
Think of Marines downloading courses on their iPods Picture desert-based soldiers using ruggedized computers to make the prospect of reading lectures in harsh conditions more feasible
Imagine service personnel taking Web-based tests and quickly learning their scores, helping them to judge whether more study is required to complete a course or whether it’s time to prepare graduate-school applications
From the ubiquity of computers to the ever-cheaper long-distance phone call, high-tech has made it possible for many more educational courses and tests to be offered on a flexible schedule that suits the individual.
Institutional Support
In addition, institutions of higher learning—from the University of Maryland to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to the University of Phoenix—give military personnel more chances to take more courses in more subjects in more locations, as their time permits and their interests dictate.
Currently, there are classes being offered at education centers in Afghanistan, South Korea, Japan, Qatar, Germany and many other countries—almost anywhere the United States Armed Services has a presence, and where it is safe to do so.
And, as it has been for decades, tuition assistance is available for most members of the armed services who choose to further their education while on active duty.
Distance Learning
Distance learning—which involves elements ranging from videoconferences with professors to chat-based discussions with classmates to Web-posted lectures and assignments—cuts across time zones and geography to let self-motivated members of the military position themselves for educational growth while they serve and as they plan a return to civilian life.
Unlike the correspondence courses of old, distance learning options today offer ways for military personnel to pose questions to teachers—and receive answers; connect with classmates around the world (or around their installation); and study from afar for associate’s, bachelor’s and graduate degrees from accredited institutions.
Schools such as Central Texas College and the University of Oklahoma are offering increasingly varied programs of courses on site, where personnel are stationed, that provide the chance to study in a more traditional environment—as traditional as learning in a classroom thousands of miles away from home, perhaps on a submarine or a remote island, can be.
Conclusion
In closing, the universe of educational options for military personnel continues to grow. Students may fulfill requirements for general education, prepare for specialized tests such as the GMAT, or begin work on a master’s degree. A new program called Spouses to Teachers, launched in Europe and parts of Asia in 2006, even helps spouses of active-duty personnel prepare for a new career stateside or in a new post.
Indeed, the U.S. military has taken strides toward helping its own in educational advancement. The Department of Defense’s DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) is one such organization that helps ensure that all military personnel seeking out educational opportunities receive them.
Broadly speaking, all the services under the umbrella of the U.S. military work to support their members who are seeking to educate themselves and increase their opportunities for advancement while on active duty or in retirement. From attaining a GED to completing the final credits toward a master’s degree, military personnel today have access to financial and educational opportunities that their peers several generations ago could not have imagined.
Today, members of the U.S. armed services are strengthening their opportunities for career advancement through education both inside and outside of the military—and improving their overall quality of life. ♦
Colleen Caulfield is vice president, academic and federal Segments at Prometric (www.prometric.com). Caulfield has extensive experience in both government and education, from learning and development programs to Internet-based testing certification programs to global education services.
Additional information for this column was provided by Marti Readel, DANTES European field advisor, Schwetzingen, Germany.