Deployed troops offered educational opportunities

1/21/2003 - OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location is scheduled to have a fully operational education center by Feb. 15.

"Ultimately we hope to offer educational services the same as stateside bases," said Tech. Sgt. John Becker, base education officer.

The base has been approved to administer examinations from the Defense Activity For Nontraditional Education Support, College Level Examination Program, Excelsior College and the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning.

For approval, Becker had to apply through DANTES to be accepted as a site. He had to provide photos of the education center itself, secure a safe and ensure everything met DANTES Examiners Book guidelines.

"There are a lot of security issues involved in this program," said Becker. Should a test be compromised here it affects the entire DANTES educational spectrum at a cost of about $1 million.

The educational opportunities here will extend past DANTES and enable deployed people to further their military education also.

"Right now we can order (career development course) exams and paper-base exams," said Becker. "We have almost everything military education-wise except computers. We can't do electronic testing, but I've asked for at least six computers and hope to get them by the end of January."

Offering military testing here will benefit everyone, especially those in upgrade training, said Becker.

If people are deployed to a location without access to educational material, they may not get the required upgrade training needed to make them eligible for promotion, he said.

"This will limit the amount of interruptions in CDC and (promotion fitness examination) education," he said. "It will also eliminate a lot of the (promotion) test waivers."

People who are interested in furthering their education are responsible for contacting their school or college or check online to see what courses are available to them here.

The base library has ordered a supply of study materials that will help anyone pursuing higher education.

"I just contacted (Air Combat Command's) master librarian and requested some books and videos," said Airman 1st Class Jairo Hidalgo, library custodian. "The goal is to give our people some kind of reference to work with so they can do well in their testing."

Becker can only do so much though and said the real work is up to the individual.

"There's a lot we can do here," he said, "but it's up to the individuals to take the initiative and ask the questions."