Photo By Master Sgt. Mike Smith | Army Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commanding general of the Georgia Army National Guard,...... read more read more
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ATLANTA - The National Guard is a vital partner in the joint challenge of educating the nation's youth and it brings great diversity of skill to the solutions, a National Guard official said during a panel discussion today.
Army Brig. Gen. Maria Britt, commanding general of the Georgia Army National Guard, spoke to nearly 2,200 conferees here at the Department of Defense Worldwide Education Symposium about the Guard's youth and voluntary education programs.
"The Guard has a proud tradition of initiating and funding education programs that reach out to nonmilitary adults, youth and ... schools," said Britt, who was part of a senior officer's panel with leaders from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. "We do this because we want to be good stewards in the communities that we serve."
Britt highlighted several programs within the National Guard that impact the lives of thousands of youth across 54 states and territories. The youth and adult outreach programs include: the "About Face" dropout prevention program; the "Forward March" employment program; and the Youth Challenge at-risk youth program.
The military support to schools programs include: the Starbase math and science elementary youth program; the Counterdrug Demand Reduction "Stay on Track" youth program; and the Partners in Education program. The "Future Soldier" education programs include the GED-Plus program and the Patriot Academy initiative.
The theme for the symposium was "Educating America's Patriots," so Britt also spoke on voluntary education for the Guard's approximate 460,000 Soldiers and Airmen. "As we go about our work this week, you must remember the role that education plays in our own success, both as a nation and as a military power," she said. "So let's work together to provide our serving men and women with the most lethal weapons in their personal arsenal: that's a personal education."
Tens of thousands of Guard members receive education benefits every year.
Federal education benefits are the same for Guard members who serve on federal, Title 10 active duty, but their state benefits vary. Officials said that most states have some form of education monies, which may cover tuition costs when they do not qualify for federal benefits.
At the symposium, officials and conferees from all military components joined with educators from the nation's universities and training institutions and discussed voluntary education, education services and support, distance learning, as well as legislation and total force initiatives. The weeklong symposium is held every three years.
Army Master Sgt. Mike Sharman of the Texas National Guard's education office said he was there with 17 others from his state to learn about education benefit available to Guard members, including the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. "We have a lot of Soldiers who are taking advantage of the many benefits we have," he said.
Sharman's Texas Guard office manages federal tuition assistance, the Texas tuition reimbursement program and has a G.I. Bill team that manages those programs, among other missions."We are a liaison between the Soldiers and the programs," he said.
Officials said federal and state education programs provide Guard members a versatile military education benefit, which enables them to pursue education and training from college to vocational and technical schools, to apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs, flight training, and licensing and certification and entrepreneurship programs.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2009 17:22 |
| Story ID: | 36915 |
| Location: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 368 |
| Downloads: | 324 |
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