Story by: Staff Sgt. Susan German
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq -- Soldiers wishing to develop themselves professionally while deployed to Iraq now have a new alternative using a program designed to provide faster access to the Army's online education system.
The system accesses the same e-Learning program currently available on AKO (Army Knowledge Online) but required a new server be brought on board in order to provide a level of connectivity similar to that AKO users in the states are accustomed to.
Before his deployment to Iraq, Capt. Tracy Dancer, from Fort Scott, Kan., site administrator and commander of Detachment B, 15th Personnel Services Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, noticed that there was a lack of emphasis on education, although avenues existed for Soldiers to further their education.
Back in the states there are numerous online education opportunities, including the e-Learning program on AKO.
"In the streamlined army that we're in now, standing up a total of 53 brigades, the mission is bigger, the units are smaller, the people have to be brighter, sharper, more flexible and more adaptive," Dancer said. "You can't work fewer people harder and get the mission done. You have to work them smarter, so education is of real importance."
Once Dancer arrived in country, he worked with Skillsoft software engineers in the states to obtain the software package necessary to allow Soldiers in theater to access the SkillPort e-Learning site. Prior to that, trying to access the AKO education site was difficult, the downloading of college courses could take eight to ten hours, if the system didn't time out first.
After four or five rebuilds, which meant taking the system down to its original settings and reloading everything from start to finish, the system is officially up and available to Soldiers and civilians of the 1st Cavalry Division community.
"We have Burger King, and they're talking about a Taco Bell, and we have Subway and Pizza Hut, but no education center and no emphasis on education," Dancer said. "I knew that selling the site would be an easy sell if only because it would be the only education site within theater."
He began work on the project while he was working as a systems automation officer at MNC-I (Multi-National Corps -- Iraq) and gives fellow workers there much credit for their help with bringing the program online. He has continued his work improving the system even since assuming command of his detachment in November.
"I jokingly say it was a lot of hard work, which it was, but it truly was a labor of love," Dancer said.
Initial registration on the ATRRS (the Army Training Requirements and Resources System) site (https://www.atrrs.army.mil) is required so that a record is established for each student and course completion certificates can be generated.
Once a student has registered, he can also access the site directly at http://usarmy.skillport.com.
There are over 1,300 courses available online, covering a variety of subjects, such as communication, finance, human resources and customer service. Similar to the Army Correspondence Course program, course completion notices can be submitted for promotion points, where five course hours are equivalent to one promotion point.
Courses are free of charge when they are used for promotion points.
Students can also submit their credits earned for evaluation by several academic partners, including the University of Phoenix, Drexel University, Northcentral Technical College and Strayer University, for possible credit towards an undergraduate degree. (Credit fees vary and are available by accessing the individual school sites).
There are currently 279 participating users and 602 activated users. Authorized users include Department of the Army Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers as well as DA civilian employees. The current system is available to MNC-I, MNF-I (Multi-National Forces -- Iraq) and 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers.
A self-proclaimed computer geek and adjutant general branch officer, Dancer has been playing with computers for the last 22 years, from Apples to Commodores to the present level of computers.
Dancer continues to perform site administration duties, including the uploading of new courses and updating of student records even as he winds down his deployment and plans to maintain the site from his 'remote" location back in the states.
And what does a computer geek do to relieve stress? Every Saturday night Dancer visits his friends back at his old office at MNC-I for "gaming night," where he hosts a game server and they spend three to four hours relieving their stress by playing computer games.
While coming on late in this deployment for 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers, the program will remain resident in Baghdad, according to Lt. Col. Colin Hood, commander of the 15th PSB.
"That's been our approach, we have continued to improve our foxhole with every opportunity and we haven't stopped," Hood said. "We're going to continue to improve, right up until the time the 3rd Infantry Division arrives because we want to make the transition as smooth as possible and we want to reduce the number of headaches for the next team coming in, so they can focus on taking care of the soldiers."
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 01.31.2005 09:39 |
| Story ID: | 976 |
| Location: | CAMP LIBERTY, IQ |
| Web Views: | 125 |
| Downloads: | 17 |
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