Military Education News And Info

Stay up-to-date with news and information about your military education. You can get the information you need to make informed decisions about your online and military correspondence programs. Learn what's going on with military education and how you can make a smooth military transition. Your civilian career awaits you!

Marine Corps has set a goal growing the force to 202,000 Marines, which has been going smoothly on the enlisted side, but it is more time consuming to produce Marine officers, and the Corps has been trying to keep pace.

It takes about one year before a Marine officer can finish all their schooling and be assigned to the fleet as a 2nd Lieutenant in charge of a Marine platoon. The Marine Corps puts its officers through intense training to ensure they are ready to lead Marines.

Ground zero for training Marine officers is The Basic School (TBS) at Quantico, VA. TBS normally graduates about 1,600 lieutenants each year; right now they are on target to graduate 2,000 officers, which has not lessened the quality of the training, but has put a lot of stress on the NCOs who train the men and women.

The Corps is expected to reach its new size by looking to take on 2,050 officer candidates in 2009 and 2,108 by 2010. Despite the increased numbers, the goal of TBS is still the same: teach these new Marine officers the basics of weapons, tactics and how to manage small units like platoons and companies.
There are four ways for men and women to become Marine officers: Officer Candidate Course, Platoon Leaders Class, enlisted to officer programs and finally through graduating from the Naval Academy or the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. A full 64% of Marine officers currently come through the first two options.

The path into the Marine Corps is more direct for enlisted Marines. After graduating from a 12-week basic training known as "boot camp" they can officially call themselves Marines. From there they go to their advanced school to study whatever it is they will do in the Corps: artillery, infantry, intelligence, etc.

Once an enlisted Marine gets settled, he can then further his civilian educational training by using Marine Tuition Assistance (TA), which he can use at any accredited vocational school, community college or university of his choice.

And since many Marines are deployed abroad or are on Naval ships all over the world, they can also using their TA benefit at an accredited online school, so that they can prepare for their civilian career from anywhere in the world. And the best thing about TA is that Marines pay nothing-out-of-pocket – the military pays the schools directly.

Some schools also offer scholarships for military spouses of active-duty Marines. Some scholarships allow a Marine spouse to enroll in a training program at no cost when the Marine uses TA to enroll at that particular school.

Online schools for military come in all shapes and sizes, so Marines should make sure that the school is nationally accredited. The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is a government-approved accrediting body that many online schools look to.

Students should also look for live student support, so they can call up a school representative when they have questions about their course or program. Many online schools also work with service members on a consistent basis and can be very helpful with TA paperwork.

Labels: , ,

more>>


Posted by Allied Blogger Admin @ 3:26 PM • 0 comments

Marines in the Body Composition Program (BCP) who never think twice about "super-sizing" their meals might want to start changing their ways. The Corps recently announced that all Marines in the BCP - a six moth program to help Marines meet the Corps' strict weight standards - will have to restart the BCP from the beginning if they are shown to be "out of standard."


The new regulations state that everyone assigned to the BCP must stay in for the entire six-month program regardless of early progress. This new ruling is part of Commandant Gen. James Conway's larger plan to have Marines meet stricter standards of fitness and appearance.

Conway has also given commanders the authority to call out Marines who may be within the Corps' body composition guidelines, but still don't meet that commanders subjective judgment of proper appearance.

Once Marines meet the physical standards set down by the Corps, they can then start thinking about hitting the books with an online vocational course. Marines can take advantage of Marine Tuition Assistance (TA) which provides up to $4,500 a year for Marines to get started on their education. The best part is that Marines pay nothing out-of-pocket; the Marines Corps will pay the school directly, eliminating tuition funding as a source of worry.

When speaking with an admissions representative, married Marines should make sure to ask about the school's training options for military spouses. Many schools offer military spouse discounts, military spouse scholarships as well as a number of military-spouse friendly options to reduce the impact of tuition on a military family's budget.

Labels: ,

more>>


Posted by Allied @ 10:36 AM • 0 comments

When a Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps speaks - people listen. So it was when the Marines' top enlisted man, Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, sat down with Marine Corps Times to weigh in on some of the day's important issues. Kent is a 32-year veteran of the Marines who served in Iraq in 2004.

Kent sat down for an interview with the paper and spoke on issues ranging from the GI Bill to HBO's new miniseries Generation Kill, which focuses on recon Marines during the initial invasion of Iraq. Here is a snapshot of some of what Kent said:

  • The goal is still to have 14 months of dwell time for every seven months of deployment
  • Two of the Corp's biggest priorities remain combat and the state of the Marine family
  • New programs coming soon include the Combat Fitness Test and changes to the Body Composition Program
  • The Corps needs to give NCOs as much responsibility in garrison as they have in combat
  • He didn't like Generation Kill; it didn't portray the Marine Corps he knew
  • On the new GI Bill, he takes a wait-and-see approach
  • Despite a spat of recent motorcycle accidents, the Corps can't ban Marines from buying bikes

In speaking about the marine family, Kent gave a nod to military spouses everywhere and the important role they play, when he said: "Our families are as important as ever. They're supporting the Marine, they're going through quite a bit and they're sacrificing so much. So, the commandant has refocused millions of dollars back into family support." Go here for the full interview.

One important educational resource for military spouses is military distance learning courses and military spouse scholarships. It's hoped that by offering more aid for military spouses that the consequences will ultimately be more jobs for military spouses.
Allied Schools www.education4military.com

Labels: , ,

more>>


Posted by Allied @ 8:47 AM • 0 comments

It's a new year and there is a lot that Marines can look forward to in 2008. Marine Corps Times recently assembled their "must-know list" for Marines. We'll take a look at a few of the highlights:

More Leathernecks - The Corps is committed to a force of 202,000 Marines by 2011. With that goal in mind, 5,000 Marines are expected to be added this year.

Resigning Bonuses - Details aren't available, but the Marine Corps is looking to retain qualified men and women with competitive bonuses.

Appearance Counts - A great PFT won't cut it anymore! You now have to look like a Marine, which means that your body fat percentage better be ship-shape.

The Osprey - Expect to meet the MV-22 Osprey if you deploy this year. The goal in Iraq is to eventually replace the CH-46E and the CH-53D.

Running Suit - Your sea bag may contain the new green running suit by the end of the year. Enjoy!

In the area of military education benefits in 2008, Marines can continue to take advantage of 100% Federal Tuition Assistance (TA), which pays up to 100% of tuition and fees for military distance learning courses. When leathernecks begin preparing for their military to civilian transition, civilian education courses will prove invaluable. Marines can also earn bonus points for promotion as part of this marine program education.

In addition, married Marines can now help their husbands or wives when they use Marine Spouse Scholarships at Allied Schools. When they enroll, their Marine spouses can enroll in a select course at no charge. This is military spouse education at its best. Tuition assistance for military spouses allows marine spouses to get career training that will pay dividends when they're hunting for a civilian job.

Labels: , ,

more>>


Posted by Allied @ 2:41 PM • 0 comments

Marine spouses at MCAS, Beaufort, S.C., now have more than a fighting chance when it comes to facing the challenges of wanting to care for children and earn an income.

The Fightertown Marine Corps Community Services' (MCCS) new Home Care program aids Marine spouses in two important ways. First, by providing well-qualified child care providers on base, it keeps children within the Marine community. It also trains Marine spouses themselves to be child care providers, which provides them both an income and a chance to watch their own children. Spouses in the program can watch their own kids, along with other Marine children, with the maximum number capped at six.

For Marine spouses who want to work as child care providers, or to work at jobs off base, this is encouraging news. A 2004 Rand Group study revealed the obstacles military spouses face when it comes to their education and career goals. The study noted that nearly 25% of Marine spouses actively looking for work could not find a job; a figure much higher than spouses in the civilian world.

MCAS Beaufort's Air Station Child Development Center holds one-week child care certification classes to train Marine spouses. The Home Care program is only for military families and the homes and child care providers are monitored by the MCCS - there are up to three unannounced house visits per month.

Marine spouses who place their children in the Home Care program can then go on to work outside the home. This also frees up time for career training at the base education center, at nearby colleges or even online, through distance learning programs.

In terms of military spouse education, online career training gives Marine spouses the opportunity to become, for example, real estate agents, medical transcriptionists or medical administrative assistants; Allied Schools offer Marine spouse scholarships for a number of different vocational careers. Marine spouses can learn more about distance education courses by speaking with the ESO at the military education center. Additionally, spouses should know that some online schools offer special military spouse tuition discounts.

Labels: ,

more>>


Posted by Allied @ 1:12 PM • 0 comments