Nicole R. Starr, M.D.E.


III. Education and Distance Learning in the Military

 The Army has embraced distance technologies for several years now, tracing back to 1976 with the initiation of the Army Institute for Professional Development (AIPD) and the Army Training Support Center at Fort Eustis, Virginia.   The Army has been a constant pioneer in trying to push the limits of delivering education with technologies.  The demands of the military and the requirements for maximizing combat troop (Soldiers) power on the battlefield created a need for the virtual classrooms.  This is evident with the initiation of eArmyU in 2001traditional training takes away the Army’s combat power on the battlefield because Soldiers are sitting in class rooms (GoArmyEd, 2009).  The ability to provide technical and tactical training on the frontlines is a force multiplier in today’s time of war.  The following institutions are examples provided to demonstrate the military’s history in supporting education and distant learning technologies. 

 Military Education Institutions

AIPD and ATSC plan, integrate, implement, and sustain training support programs to support the Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) core mission and the Army.  It provides training to Soldiers all over the world and on all domains.  This non-resident extension of TRADOC service schools was established in 1976 (ATSC, 2009).  The wars of the military have changed over the years, in 1976 it was the Vietnam War, today it is the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT). 

ATSC and AIPD play key roles in providing institutional training to Soldiers deployed to the frontlines of Iraq.  The war strategies of Vietnam are not the same as those of GWOT.  The Army and its sister branches are forced to fight on unfamiliar territory using unconventional warfare, similar to Vietnam.  Distance Education enables Soldiers to receive technical and tactical proficiency training just-in-time which increases the number of Soldiers on the battlefield, hence minimizing the number of Soldiers in classrooms.  Typically Soldiers have access to the internet and educational websites.  The internet in deployed operating bases uses a Nonsecure Information Protocol Router Net (NIPR) which allows personnel to have regulated access (Wikipedia, 2009).  Soldiers have access to the internet to continue their distant course curriculum while deployed.  Mentorship continues to occur in a deployed environment and initial counseling and mentor sessions are conducted face-to-face.  However, there is no specific guide such as the Field Manual (FM6-22/ FM 22-100) that give officers the tools to conduct virtual mentoring.

 Education and Online Learning in the Military

The Army’s ability to offer its Soldiers education opportunities is apparent.  Education has been a major factor for many years.  An example of that includes the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarship Program, which many accredited universities partner with.  The ROTC program at the University of Southern California is a face-to-face undergraduate degree program in which students can obtain a 2, 3, and 4 year full tuition scholarship (GoArmy, 2009).  Upon successful graduation, students are commissioned to officers in the rank of Second Lieutenants in the United States Army (GoArmy, 2009). 

 Another example of education opportunities for Soldiers in the Army includes the Service members Opportunity Colleges Army Degree (SOCAD).  SOCAD is a system of college curriculum designed to help Soldiers and their family members to earn college degrees (GoArmyEd, 2009).  SOCAD offers Soldiers face-to-face distant learning courses. 

Affiliate institutions working injunction with SOCAD include, University of Maryland University College (UMUC), University of North Carolina at Pembroke Fort Bragg, NC and University of Phoenix (University of Phoenix, 2009).  These three institutions are just some of many others that partner with SOCAD in an effort to assist Soldiers with education opportunities around the world.  The University of Phoenix for instance offers full-fledged online degree programs in undergraduate, graduate and doctorial studies.  Programs are offered online (and on campus) and military students are especially welcomed by lowered tuition rates (University of Phoenix, 2009).  The staff at University of Phoenix has experienced (and prior) military workers trained to provide academic counseling and Veteran Affairs counseling. 

Through SOCAD alone, UMUC offers several undergraduate degree opportunities, 21 Bachelor Degrees and 12 Associate Degree programs (SOCAD, (2009).  However, through the UMUC general admissions, UMUC offers courses in form of distance learning technologies to U.S. Soldiers located on over 150 military installations including Asia and Europe (UMUC, 2009).  UMUC has accommodated its service members not only by brining the classroom to Soldiers stationed outside the U.S. but has also catered to them by accepting transfer credit earned from military specialty schools.  The UMUC also acknowledges veterans benefits such as the G.I. Bill and has qualified staff dedicated to answering any financial questions from a distance. 

 To meet the demands of DE within the military, the Army launched the Electronic Army University in 2001, more commonly known as eArmyU (GoArmyEd, 2009).  The distance education technologies adapted by the military, creating eArmyU, enabled enlisted Soldiers to work towards a college degree via the internet.  eArmyU is an organizational structure that uses DE and enables Soldiers to enroll and participate.  In the past, the author has completed several courses via the eArmyU forum online and obtained special skills certification.

The Distance Learning milestones such as the eArmyU program in the Army are fundamental achievements.  Literature and research indicate that senior leaders across the Army are aware that mentorship is important (G-1, 2005; Knippelmeyer & Torraco, 2008; Knouse, 2000; Melanson 2008; Nieberding, 2008). 

 Many of the Armed Forces today are located and deployed all over the world, including remote areas in the Middle East, which makes face to face encounters difficult if not impossible.  The Army is no stranger to the internet and supports the troops with alternate means of communication and education, such as online learning technologies and communication. 

 Army Mentorship Program (AMP)

The Army Mentorship Program originated in 2005 as part of Leaving a Legacy through Mentorship initiative by the Chief of Staff, Secretary of the Army and Sergeant Major of the Army (G-1, 2005, p.3).    The Army’s definition of mentorship is best defined as,

 “…Mentorship is an extremely powerful tool for personal and professional development; it improves technical and tactical competence, leadership skills, self-awareness, and morale.  The Army’s definition of mentorship is the voluntary developmental relationship that exists between a person of greater experience and a person of lesser experience that is characterized by mutual trust and respect…Mentoring is not a new concept and has been a part of professional and leader development programs for some time.  Army leaders have always been expected to mentor those junior to them…” (G-1, 2005, p.3).

 

The Army Mentorship Program was designed with the premise of conducting face-to-face interaction with mentor and mentee.  The method of delivering mentorship to mentees and providing guidance must be revisited based on current of the Army.  The factors surrounding a need for assessments will be conducted later in this study using the Needs Assessment Model (Morrison, Ross & Kemp’s, 2007).

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