RALEIGH, N.C. - While a North Carolina National Guard soldier or airman, like the Minuteman of old, is "Always Ready", it can be a challenge to keep them that way.
Leaders must train their soldiers and airmen living several miles away from their unit with different civilian jobs, drill schedules and home armories.
The NCNG's Distributed Learning Classrooms (DLC) might economically solve this problem balancing, work, training and distance.
"Our first priority is readiness and training," said Gene Jordan, Distributed Learning Coordinator at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh.
The DLC are 12 high-tech classrooms with 210 seats total with 24 available in a mobile classroom. They typically equipped with videoconferencing technology, internet, computer workstations, printer and projector. With locations in Asheville, Lenoir, Charlotte, Greensboro, Butner, Raleigh, Fort Bragg, Clinton, Kinston and Fort Fisher, they are within 50 miles of nearly every NCNG Soldier or Airman in the state.
"Leaders should take advantage of the asset, from one location you can train soldiers miles away," said Jordan.
With just one instructor, several classrooms of soldiers can have real time interactive training with an expert rather than one more "death by power point" session. Leaders can reserve these classrooms by calling a distance-learning administrator at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters.
Soldiers can also use the workstations for the Army's Structured Self Development Courses. The web-based training is required before soldiers advance to leadership schools throughout their career.
The classrooms are not just a training asset. They have been used for real world statewide operations linking NCNG personnel with other state, local and national agencies for state or federal missions including the recent Democratic Party Convention in Charlotte.
Providing interactive training, cost savings, scheduling flexibility and real world mission support the DLC should be in any leader's toolkit.