School is in session: Deployed Soldiers take advantage of continuing education opportunities

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – With the Army’s Tuition Assistance Program available to all active duty Soldiers, many are taking the opportunity to further their education and get a degree while deployed. In Company A, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Falcon, a large number of enlisted Soldiers are taking classes, either online or at a base classroom, to further their education. 

“A lot of our Soldiers are taking classes for promotion purposes or for their personal education goals,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Jones, a platoon sergeant in A Co., TF Workhorse, from Rochester, N.Y.

“They are using their free time wisely to improve themselves while still focusing on continuing the mission. Due to the high deployment schedule in the Army, Soldiers typically have trouble meeting classroom obligations when going for their degrees. The opportunity for them to take online courses while deployed instead of having to sit in a classroom means that they can complete their degrees easier and quicker.” 

The Tuition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs. Soldiers take accredited college-level courses during their off-duty hours in support of his professional and personal self-development goals, such as Jones’ goal of earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

U.S. Army Sgt. Iasia Owens, a supply clerk for A Co., TF Workhorse, from St. Petersburg, Fla., is currently finishing up the last few classes she needs for her associate degree and plans to continue on to get her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and be commissioned as an officer through the Army’s Green to Gold Program.

“Being able to take classes while you are deployed is a great opportunity that I believe all Soldiers should take advantage of,” said Owens. “I am getting my degree in criminal justice as a first step toward my goal of becoming an officer. Education should always be the first step you take towards achieving your goals.”

Officers can also use the Tuition Assistance Program to get their post-graduate degrees as shown by U.S. Army Capt. Jamail McGlone, operations officer in A Co., TF Workhorse, from Brooklyn, N.Y.

“In today’s Army, it is of utmost importance for Soldiers to improve themselves both physically and mentally,” said McGlone. “The best way to improve yourself mentally is to take every opportunity to further your education that you can. It increases your mental flexibility and makes it easier for you to adapt to the quicksilver changes that are part and parcel of today’s Army. Soldiers that do this will, in the long run, not only be helping themselves but will also be helping me as a leader and the Army as a whole.”

“Continuing your education is an opportunity to build yourself and, with the free tuition available through tuition assistance, it doesn’t cost you a dime,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sherrine Floyd, a shift leader in A Co., TF Workhorse, from Fayetteville, N.C., who is also currently working on her associate degree in criminal justice. “You can go to your local Education Services Office and they can walk you through the easy application process for tuition assistance. Or you can also go to www.GoArmyEd.com and follow their step-by-step guide to applying.”

Floyd finished by saying, “everybody should always seek self-improvement on a continuous basis. Even if you aren’t going to use your education to further your career in the Army, you should always remember that there is life after the Army and you can get better jobs in the civilian world when you are educated.”