Photo By Staff Sgt. Jason Hammond | Paul Wanquist, a representative at the Fort Bliss Education Center, informs Soldiers...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – Civilian education advancement is one of the most recommended tasks for Soldiers. The U.S. Army is a fast-paced and unpredictable career, so it is naturally recommended for Soldiers to have a plan proceeding the military life. For two prior service members, their goal is to make sure Soldiers do just that.
Paul Wanquist, a representative at the Fort Bliss Education Center and prior service member, is dedicated to helping Soldiers with their educational benefits.
“We teach the Education Managing Track Class as a two-day course, once or twice a month,” Wanquist said. “When I’m not in a class, I’m assisting Soldiers one-on-one.
The Education Management Track Class covers many topics, ranging from career-seeking tools, informing soldiers on tuition assistance, the entrepreneurship track, and learning what colleges best fits each Soldier.
“On day one we focus on the Soldier’s career interests,” Wanquist said. “We have them do a career assessment survey, and afterwards, we talk to them about various factors they may want to consider when choosing an institution of higher learning, rather it be a college or trade school.”
Scott Graves, a veteran’s career advisor for the Texas Veterans Commission and a prior service member, believes that it is important to pursue appropriate higher-level learning as a Soldier.
“First and foremost, you have to review your areas of interest,” said Graves.
He explains that there is always risk of injury being a Soldier, so choosing the proper occupational route must be considered. About half of all veterans in the U.S. today (9.3 million) are retired or dealing with injuries that make them unable to hold a job.
“So you’re in the Army, and you’ve gotten injured doing the thing that you love,” Graves said. “Let’s say you were a mechanic [in the Army], and you now have an injured wrist or knees. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to go into an occupation such as a mechanic [as a civilian].”
Wanquist understands the importance of Soldiers working towards a degree while still wearing the uniform. Less than one third of Soldiers have an associates degree or higher; however, many career fields in the job market require a college degree.
Things were not quite the same for Wanquist when he joined back 1986.
“Being prior service, I am happy to be able to help our military personnel,” Wanquist said. “When I was a Soldier, I appreciated all the help that I could get, and to be honest, there was no class available like this.”
Both Wanquist and Graves are happy to make a difference in the U.S Army, creating more educated Soldiers by the day.
“I can help you, even if you live in another state,” Graves said.
“We’ve been teaching here for over a year now,” Wanquist said. “It’s a good job, and I enjoy helping Soldiers.”
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2023 15:16 |
| Story ID: | 439987 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Setting Soldiers up for success: How prior service supports Fort Bliss, by SSG Jason Hammond, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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