Class offers Soldiers chance to improve aptitude scores

Photo By Sgt. Robert Yde | Staff Sgt. Joshua Hollowell, who is with Company B, 15th Brigade Support Battalion, reacts after hearing the correct answer during a game of "Pictionary," based off of vocabulary words during a general technical score improvement class conducted at Forward Operating Base Prosperity on Aug. 13. The three week class, which is held every other month, is open to any 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Soldier who wishes to improve their GT score.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

08.16.2007

Story by Sgt. Robert Yde 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Robert Yde
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq – When a young man decides to enlist in the Army, he potentially has hundreds of jobs to choose from; however, those choices can be quickly narrowed down depending on his performance on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).

All potential Soldiers are required to take the nine-section test, which is used to determine the future Soldier's potential in various job fields.

One of the most common line scores derived from the ASVAB, that is used to qualify for many military occupational specialties, is the "general technical score."

A high GT score, which is comprised from the word knowledge, paragraph comprehension and arithmetic reasoning sections, allows a potential Soldier to choose from nearly any MOS available, while a low GT score can severely limit the choices that are available.

Soldiers, who may have been interested in one job, might have to settle for another based on their scores – at least at the beginning of their careers. However, the ASVAB can be retaken and GT scores can be raised, opening the door to new possibilities for Soldiers who wish to stay in the Army but would like to change career fields.

To help Soldiers work toward meeting their goals, the 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division is conducting ongoing classes specifically focused on improving Soldiers' GT scores.

"What we're doing is offering the students the opportunity to refresh on the three components that comprise the GT score in order for them to raise their GT score to do whatever it is that they're trying to do career wise and to enhance their career options," explained 15th BSB's personnel officer, Capt. Jaime Cook, who is also serving as one of the class's instructors.

The third offering for the class began on Aug. 13 and is not reserved for just 15th BSB Soldiers. It is open to all Soldiers throughout the Black Jack Brigade.

"Usually if you see something that the BSB is offering, we try to open it up to everybody because we have a facility that maybe many of them don't have. And something like this is good thing for Soldiers – period," the Swansea, S.C., native said.

The class runs for three weeks, and prior to starting the class, students are given a comprehensive pretest that Cook said covers all the aspects used to make up the GT score. The results of the pretest are used by Cook and her other two instructors, Sgt. Kimberly Bawkin and Sgt. 1st Class Leslie Hawkins, to tailor each class to the needs of its students.

"Based on the previous class, what we learned by giving the pretest was that it helps us focus on the areas we need to for that particular class," Cook said. "So, like the last class, most of them were OK with the math. They needed a little bit of help but they did OK. With this class, we'll probably have to focus a lot on the math piece. The pretest is good for the Soldiers and for us to help teach them better in whatever areas they need."

Students are also required to fill out a personal information sheet with their goals and reasons for taking the class, which in most cases is to change jobs.

"I'm debating whether or not I want to go to (Officer Candidate School) or 'Green to Gold,' and my commander recommended that I raise my GT score," Sgt. Jessica Schneider, a supply clerk with Co. DFSC, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, said explaining her reasons for enrolling in the class.

Schneider, originally from Lancaster, Pa., said that after seeing the results of her pretest she is already feeling more confident and hopes to use what she learns over the next three weeks to achieve her goal of becoming a nurse.

Like Schneider, Spc. Tremaine Smith, who is currently assigned to the 15th BSB force protection cell, also hopes to further his career by improving his GT score. The Miami native said he is considering becoming a warrant officer and pursuing a career as a (Criminal Investigation Division) agent.

"The part that I was struggling on was the word knowledge so I'm trying to target that a lot," Smith explained, "and from what Captain Cook's doing it seems like this class is going to help."

Cook said she tries to make the class fun and interactive by integrating games such as "Pictionary" based on their vocabulary words, but as with any class there are required assignments and homework.

"For the reading comprehension part, there are a lot of articles that they have to read," she said. "We actually go through and pick different articles for them because we want them to read outside of their norm so they can pick up other vocabularies."

Cook said that she stresses to the students that she and the other instructors are not professional teachers and that the only qualification they had to meet for teaching this class was the willingness to give up some of their free time. She said that because they are not teachers, they have relied on assistance and guidance from the Liberty Education Center, which also provided all the study and class materials.

Prior to offering this class, Soldiers form the Black Jack Brigade had the option of taking a more in depth version of the course at the education center, but that required the Soldier to be away from his unit for up to a month.

"Down there I think they do a three or four week course that runs all day from seven to five, and you can actually lock in students from this FOB for the class but most commands can't afford to give the Soldiers up that long so that's another reason why we decided to give them something here so they can go test," Cook said.

After completing the course, however, students still have to travel to Camp Liberty to take the ASVAB, but Cook said she is hoping that they can offer testing at FOB Prosperity beginning with her current class.

"One of the students from this class actually gave us the point of contact for a lady who's out of Balad who's actually a proctor," she explained. "So our goal for this class is to hopefully get her down here and proctor the test out here. I'm trying to work on that and make sure that happens. It will be a lot easier logistically for the commands than to try to get the Soldiers out to Liberty."

As her third class is just getting underway, Cook said that she has had three students from her prior classes who have already retested, and that all of them made improvements on their GT score.

As of now, another class is scheduled to begin in October and possibly one more in December, Cook said. Any Black Jack Soldiers interested in signing up just need to talk with their battalion's personnel officer.

"We're giving these guys a chance to do something for their career or personal goals, and I don't want them to hold off career wise a whole 15 months for something they want to do," Cook said. "I came up through the ranks as a Soldier. I was a private all the way up to staff sergeant, and I've had people in my past that have done things to help me out, so it's a great feeling to be able to give something back and be able to help others improve themselves."

• Date Taken: 08.16.2007
• Date Posted: 08.16.2007 07:39
• Story ID: 11831
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ