Editor's Perspective
In a world of unceasing threats to our national security, a shift in thinking is taking place at the grassroots level, resulting in a greater emphasis on the educational investment in our military veterans. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is leading the effort to better prepare the country for dealing with these myriad security dangers by tapping into skills honed by our defenders of freedom and channeling their expertise into postservice careers. Focusing on the greater national intelligence community, this issue of Military Advanced Education showcases an in-depth interview with Dr. George L. Tanner, the Department of Homeland Security’s chief learning officer, who offers MAE readers insight into the direction DHS is taking to increase opportunities for active and transitioning servicemembers.
As a new administration prepares to take the national reigns, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence is leading the promotion of programs to bolster American confidence in our government. The Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence program, created by Dr. Lenora Gant, IC CAE director and professor of engineering at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., is raising awareness among prospective college students (of whom an increasing number have military experience) of the growing breadth of opportunities for career development within the national intelligence arena.
The field of criminal justice is also offering opportunities for transitioning servicemembers, to pursue a variety of career paths, both in government and in the private sector. On the examination front, DANTES is enabling military personnel to receive college credit through testing for learning acquired in nontraditional ways. Test credit is enabling active and veteran servicemembers to obtain credentials critical to career progression more quickly and at lower cost than ever before.
These stories and the 2008 honorees of MAE’s second annual Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities can be found in this issue of MAE online at www.mae-kmi.com. Please feel free to contact me with any comments.
Christian Sheehy
Editor