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ALSO
IN THIS ISSUE Base Security US Navy Needs Civilian Aircraft Mechanics Getting High Patriotic Images Salute To Veterans An Ear to the Past Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff… |
COVER
STORY Uniform
Instruction The military and education are two of America’s most enduring institutions. From West Point to Annapolis, from The Citadel to thousands of ROTC programs spanning the nation, soldiers and scholars have co-existed since the country’s beginnings. While it can be argued that more often the military has profited from education, there are also instances where the reverse is happening. Since 1980 the federal govenment has contracted with the San Diego Community College District to further educate military personnel using the teaching resources of the district. “The military decided to use civilian instructors, because they knew there would be many at the college level who could teach the kinds of things that were necessary,” said Gus Leahy, director of military education for the San Diego Community College District. “There were bids for the competition, because it was a lucrative, substantial program, and many colleges wanted to be involved. The military sought the best teachers it could get at the best price.” The college district offered the best opportunities for the military, at the right price, and instruction began at the Naval Station near downtown. The San Diego location was eventually joined by other learning centers on military bases, including Great Lakes, Ill., Millington, Tenn., Meridian, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla. The San Diego Community College District staffs these locations. The program went through many changes over the years, with the government altering its rules on such contracts periodically, even passing a law in the mid-1980s that did away with competitive bidding. But the program has always remained strong, even through tough financial times and military cutbacks. “The number of instructors in San Diego has gone up and down,” Leahy said. “There are always changes, depending on how things are going. When the Naval Training Center closed, there were cutbacks, but we’ve also added several new courses.” Things changed again following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, when the education program was called upon to perform new duties during this time of need. “We have expanded the program since then, especially in the area of force protection, and we expanded courses the Navy had established in boarding and searching vessels,” Leahy said. “Prior to Sept. 11, the Coast Guard handled a lot of those duties, and they could be overwhelmed. By now, the Navy has become totally prepared for those kinds of operations that might once have been handled by another branch, depending on the circumstances.” Other vital courses also continue in force. Current training topics include aviation electronics technician, advanced avionics integrated weapons, parachute rigging, aviation electrician’s mate and advanced radar air traffic controller, among many others. The number of instructors usually ranges between 60 and 70. “Many of them stay a long time, but there is also a lot of turnover,” Leahy said. “The vast majority are retired military. When we first started the program, most of the instructors had not been to college. But through our credential program, many of them were able to teach while going to school. Most now have a minimum of an associate’s degree.” As technology has evolved, Leahy says, so has the teaching and equipment involved in these courses. “Everything changes in the military,” Leahy said. “Even the cooks keep returning to our cooking schools, because not only have the three meals a day changed over the years, but so has the way the military prepares those three meals a day. Boiled water is about the same, but everything else is different.” The
military telephone systems have also changed at least half a dozen times,
and the teaching crew keeps up with the latest telecommunications developments. “The military upgrades when the time and equipment is right, and we look ahead at new technology so we’ll be ready when the time comes,” Leahy said. Though there are a few Air Force personnel who take the courses, most are either Navy or Marine Corps, most of the time directly out of boot camp. “There are many entry-level courses, but also follow-up training,” Leahy said. “For example, the Navy will send someone to learn basic electronics, then they may come back later to learn more about specific equipment. Schooling is an ongoing part of military preparedness.” Thirty years ago, there were standard radar-controlled missiles, but at some point Navy personnel were required to learn the Tomahawk missile system, and the education program was part of the training. As well, more women than ever before participate in the courses. “The Navy has changed its attitude on that, and more women are involved,” Leahy said. The program should continue to grow and prosper for some time. “I think the Navy likes working with us,” Leahy said. “We have another contract involving military police, and I believe we will expand the law enforcement aspects. The Navy is committed to us, and we do the same by giving them good people, often Navy trained.” At the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill., students enter the program as fast as they can complete boot camp. In the fourth year of the current five-year contract, the facility also has the advantage of two decades of activity, with 325 instructors. “About 80 percent of those instructors are former military,” said Gary Jennings, dean of instruction at the facility. “It’s an ideal situation for our instructors, because many of them go into the military at age 19 or 20, and even if they serve 20 years, they are still 40 or under when they get out. So they have plenty left to give.” And plenty of know-how to provide. The instructors rely on real-life experiences to help pass knowledge on to the students. “We are big on electronics here,” Jennings said. “We teach a lot of basics, cover a lot of areas. We supply knowledge to what the Navy calls electronic technicians. We also train people on controlled radars and controlled weaponry. The facility at Great Lakes hosts the Navy’s only gunnery school. “We also teach engineering, diesel engines and steam power,” Jennings said. Great Lakes was the facility where legendary bandmaster John Philip Sousa served, and has a long and proud history of military activity and training. “We keep up to date,” Jennings said. “We are very network connected, and things in that arena change very rapidly.” Another interesting program the facility provides is a reading and language effort. “We get some students who start boot camp with less than a 7th-grade English reading level,” Jennings said. “We have nine teachers who work with those people intensely for three to five weeks to get their reading and language skills up to speed.” The program is an ESL situation, of sorts, different in that it hosts students/sailors from countries throughout the world, people who were born elsewhere, but moved to the United States at some point and decided to join the military. The future looks bright at Great Lakes. “We’ve
been at it for 20 years, and there are ebbs and flows,” Jennings
said. “Our instructors very much enjoy it here, because they get
the best of both worlds, military surroundings with civilian jobs. It’s
very rewarding work.” |