Sleepless in Baghdad

Written by Diana McGonigle

Military Advanced Education interviewed five servicemembers stationed at the Combined Press Information Center (CPIC) in Baghdad, Iraq.

Emma Krouser is the sergeant major for the CPIC. “It’s not what I do, it’s what my soldiers do that contributes to the overall mission. I make sure the CPIC has everything it needs to function properly. The CPIC holds press conferences, I ensure my soldiers have the required information to schedule the conference room, and that all the equipment is functioning properly,” Krouser said.

Ryan Nastick just started working here at KMI in circulation. He has been out of the Marine Corps about four months. He enlisted right out of high school at 17. “Not even a week later, I was in basic training.” He started out in Quantico, then Germany, and then shipped over to Kuwait. While stationed there he took online courses at Montgomery College (Maryland), taking general studies and communications courses. He never got to Iraq; he injured his leg during training. “I plan to go back and continue my education and a major in communications and journalism and hopefully come out and be a journalism reporter for Rolling Stone or some sort of big-time magazine,” Nastick said.

He’s taking off this semester after getting out of Walter Reed Hospital. He plans to enroll in courses in the summertime to finish up his credits for an associate’s degree and transfer either to Shady Grove Universities or University of Maryland, College Park. “To me community college is the best way to go for any student out of high school,” Nastick stated. “Community college is just work work work. In two years you knock out … I mean it’s simple and it’s cheap and you save money; there’s no hassles; there’s no drama, and if you transfer out close to your associate’s or with your associate’s, that’s two years out of four knocked out. So you go to the university for your major, not for general studies,” he continued.

He thought that online courses were great. The teachers gave pointers, and the other students were always asking questions. “Online is probably the only way to study if you’re working full time. Just hop on the computer three or four hours a night, you’ll be good to go.”

Studying was kind of difficult in Kuwait. Nastick found it hard to get assignments done on time, but he told his professors the first time he logged into class that he was in the Marines, so they understood when a paper was late. Still, Nastick said, “I accomplished a lot being over there.”

Private First Class Lajaun Hickman is a public affairs specialist. “This covers a lot of territory,” Hickman explained. “Right now, I work as a sort of media liaison between the media and the Army. I find and answer questions that deal with the war in Iraq. I am also a journalist. I write stories on important issues or press conferences that occur. With that, I am a photo-journalist. I take pictures of these events too. I also give accreditation to media that enter theater.”

Specialist Erin Hall is an administrative specialist. “Well, since I am a 42L, I deal with maintaining personnel records, entering and retrieving personnel information, processing recommendations for awards, arranging award ceremonies, typing memos, etc.,” Hall stated Specialist Jennifer Fulk works at the press desk. Sky Laron is a sergeant at CPIC.

Krouser is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in communications management with emphasis in Public Relations at Webster University. She chose Webster “because it offered the degree program that I was looking for,” she said.

Hickman is taking beginning Spanish with an eye on an A.A. degree in general studies at American Military University. She chose AMU because “It is regionally accredited and catered to military needs.”

“I chose this degree because at the moment I am unsure of what I want to do when I leave the Army. Getting an A.A. in general studies gives me more time to think about what I really want,” Hickman added. “I’m not sure as to how I will use the knowledge I have gained in this job in my future. I know that it has allowed me to deal better with people in general.” Hall also is working on an associate’s degree studying criminal justice at Central Texas College. “While I was over in Korea, they only had so many colleges to choose from with criminal justice as a major so I had to choose Central Texas,” she said. “I choose the criminal justice field because it has always interested me. I also caught myself watching TV shows like Law and Order, CSI, etc. and thought that maybe one day I could do something like that. It is a job that is different everyday and very exciting,” Hall continued.

She added, “Well, [as] a secretary, I could use that anywhere. It could be in a little office or maybe even being a hospital secretary. [Who] know what the future holds!”

Fulk is studying psychology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland University College. “I have nine classes until I get my B.A. in psychology,” she said. “I chose [UMUC] because I am very interested in law and psychology. I decided to obtain my bachelor’s degree in psychology and plan to attend law school after my enlistment,” Fulk added.

Laron is studying management with the University of Phoenix and is working on a master’s degree in management. “UoP was the first university offering a master’s program when I was overseas last time,” he said. The students gave mixed reports on the difficulty of taking classes during deployment.

Hickman and Fulk both complained about hectic schedules. “It is challenging. I work 12 hour shifts six days a week, which makes it hard to find time and a quiet place to study,” Fulk added. “There is always a way, however.”

Hall said that it was “not too bad. You do have your rough times though.”

“Actually it isn’t that hard,” Krouser said. “I have access to a computer at my living quarters and at work. I earned my bachelor’s degree through online classes as well. This works great for me. I get to interact with my classmates through the discussion area on the Web. Plus there are no time limitations like there would be in the traditional classroom. The hardest thing about choosing online classes is disciplining yourself to do the work in a timely manner, and finding your rhythm.”

But Laron has had to drop a class because of deployment. “Basically there just aren’t enough hours in a day to accomplish everything you need to accomplish. Something always ends up suffering, whether it be work or school, and 99.99 percent of the time over here it will be school. When I sometimes work 19 hours a day—it has happened—and try to write letters home and call my wife and daughter—so important—and write a 15- page report on financial management, sometimes I have to step back and take a breath before I pass out. I understand it is the nature of the beast over here though.”

MAE asked for advice to other servicemembers who are thinking of taking classses.

“I recommend this type of class to anyone, not just servicemembers, who can’t find the time to go to a campus for classes. You can fit it into your schedule and work around your family,” Krouser said.

Laron suggested that students “Make sure you communicate with your command and your institution, don’t get in over your head ... you do not want to get caught up in debt and financial stress when you have much more important matters to deal with.”

Hickman said that time management is the key. “My advice is to go for it,” Fulk added. “The main thing is sufficient access to a computer, if you have that and you have a strong desire to learn and further your education, you will go far.”

“Colleges will work with you while you are deployed so if you think that you wouldn’t be able to take classes, you can,” Hall said. “Just talk with someone at the college, and I am very sure they would love to help you. And this is a perfect time to start if you haven’t already!” ♦

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