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By Sgt Charles N. Swope
As our nations premier fghting force, we exclusively label
ourselves The Few and the Proud.
And, existing within the ranks of our illustrious Corps is
another rare breed: those pursuing a higher education. Ac cord ing
to Pat Jeffress, educational ser v ices offcer and branch manager
at Ma rine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Joint Education
Center (JEC), less than 15 percent of Marines were enrolled in
accredited degree programs last year, and only 1 percent
successfully graduated. Most Marines believe that adding off
duty education to the constant struggle of balancing military
duties and personal affairs is too daunting a task to accomplish.
However, Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion are challenging
that assumption and proving that a higher education is still within
reach, despite having a highly concentrated training schedule,
multiple combat deployments and arduous family obligations.
Can I Earn a Degree While Serving?
As a recon Marine with 1st Reconnaissance Bn, I can testify from
frsthand ex perience that earning a collegeand even graduatedegree
is entirely possible while serving in the most challenging of
military billets. While a lance corporal in the infantry, I took my
frst college class online in Iraq by using an Ethernet cable
running from a local Internet caf down the street. Thirteen months
later, I earned an Associate of Arts in general studies from the
University of Phoenix.After graduating from the Basic Recon
naissance Course, I continued to pursue my education. In 2010, I
deployed to Afghanistan where my team and I conducted deep
reconnaissance, covert ambushes, battleshaping, clandestine
surveillance
and heliborne interdiction operations behind enemy lines. In
spite of the intensity of the deployment, I still managed to attend
online classes between missions. After my return to garrison life
at Camp Pendleton, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in
management. I recognized that the opportunity to
continue my education existed, so I enrolled in an online Master
of Business Administration program at Northeastern University in
2011.Three months later, however, I deployed
to Afghanistan again where my team and I participated in mis
sions similar to those in 2010. Determined to facilitate my
academic goals, I attended multiple graduatelevel courses between
combat operations. The pressure to per form academically,
The Few. The Proud. The Educated.
Sgt Charles N. Swope, a recon Marine with 1st Recon Bn, earned
his MBA, completing part of his degree while on his two deployments
to Afghanistan. Swope
plans to transition into the civilian workforce in May.
The pressure to per form academically, even mere hours after
engaging in heavy combat with the enemy, was incredibly
intense.
Yet, I persisted.
CPL
JAM
ES G
ULL
IVER
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even mere hours after engaging in heavy combat with the enemy,
was incredibly intense. Yet, I persisted.Finally, in December 2013,
nearly six
years after taking my frst online course, I fnished my
graduate-level education and will walk at Northeastern Universitys
com mencement ceremony in Boston in May. My accomplishment
demonstrates that Marines of all grades and billets are capable of
pursuing their academic goals. Even with the rigorous demands of
being in the military, it can be done.
Achieving Your Educational Goals
The academically successful Marines of 1st Recon Bn agree that a
method for tackling educational goals is to determine what you
enjoy studying, create a plan of action and see it through until
the end. Pursuing your education is like doing anything else in the
Marine Corps, said Staff Sergeant John White of Headquarters and
Service Company. You start the plan-ning process, obtain the
information you need, enroll in a program and make it hap pen. But,
you have to want it bad enough to get it done! White, an online
student at American
Military University since 2011, will grad-uate in early 2014
with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. His decision to
attend AMU was based on regional ac-creditation, fexibility of
class scheduling, affordability and admission requirements. Since
AMU allowed White to apply the 30 Navy SMART credits he earned from
attending military schools, he didnt have to take a single elective
during his pro-gram. Equally exciting, Marine Corps Tuition
Assistance (TA) paid for nearly the entire cost of tuition.
Claiming that his biggest accomplish-
ment isnt just earning a four-year degree, White stated, The
fact that I will earn this degree while serving in a demanding
billet within the most elite battalion in the Marine Corps is
something I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Depending on
its future availability, White plans to con tinue using TA to fund
a graduate program immediately after completing his undergrad
degree since he transferred his GI Bill to his wife. She currently
is pursuing a masters degree.Several other Marines assigned to
1st
Re con Bn are proving that a demanding military profession and
off-duty education can coexist. Sergeant Dan McFarland of Co A is a
recon Marine and scout sniper who studied online at the University
of Phoenix while deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. On more than one
occasion, McFarland engaged in direct combat with enemy
forces only to return to Camp Leatherneck and resume coursework
toward a Bachelor of Science in management.Perseverance, McFarland
said, ... is
the only word to describe what it takes. Honor graduate of his
class at Scout Sniper Basic Course in Camp Pendleton, McFarland
referenced a portion of the Recon Creed as his motivation for
aca-dem ic success. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; to
overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the
mission. Expected to graduate in
2015, McFarland is thankful that TA has covered his entire cost
of tuition to date.Career planner and online student at
National University, Sgt Marcos Valentin has received numerous
accolades for his military performance, including the 2013 Division
Career Planner of the Year Award. Valentin spends about 70 hours
per week at his offce working on re-enlistment packages and
extensions in support of the Marines at 1st Recon Bn. Its hard
work, he said, but the reward is worth it. Similar to everything
else in
Above: Sgt Charles N. Swope, 1st Recon Bn, provides security
during a training exercise at Marine Corps
Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 9. (Photo by Cpl James
Gulliver)
Below: Sgt Swope participates in an online graduate-level course
at Northeastern University after
returning from a frefght with enemy forces in Sangin,
Afghanistan, 2011. Swope earned an associate
degree, as well as his bachelors and masters degrees during his
eight years of service and three
combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of
Alex Barlow)
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the Marine Corps, you just have to buckle down and get it done.
Working most weekends and holidays, Valentin still manages to write
papers and participate in discussions in pursuit of a Bachelor of
Science in allied health. He expects to graduate in 2014. Corporal
Bobby Jackson, a maintenance
management noncommissioned offcer with H&S Co, recently
fnished his third course at Central Texas Community College. Im
addicted, he said. I already feel that this education is improving
every area of my life, and I like it. Jacksons overall experience
with CTCC has been very good so far. The class is full of Marines,
so we all understand one another. And, the course facilitators are
willing to work one-on-one with you in areas you fnd challenging,
such as math.After checking into 1st Recon Bn in
2012, Jackson dedicated his time to be-coming a better Marine.
Off-duty edu-cation motivates Marines to perform better at their
military duties, Jackson said. Since starting school, Ive been
recognized for high performance, and I credit this success in part
to the education I have received in my off-time. A few months after
starting a Bachelor
of Arts in education, Jackson received a Meritorious Mast and a
promotion to corporal. I just fnd it hard to believe that other
Marines cant fnd time to do it, he said. If Marines in this
battalion are somehow managing to earn masters degrees, there is no
reason why others arent earning theirs. Cpl Jackson plans to
graduate in 2017.
Beneft to the Corps
Commanders should note that Marines receiving a higher education
display an increased quality of work, utilize tech-nology more
effectively and successfully build and lead teams. Possessing
refned communication skills, those Marines are highly profcient at
teaching classes to large audiences and presenting briefs to the
command element. Those who are suc-cessful in achieving their
academic goals exhibit the requisite level of com mitment
and persistence for leading Ma rines in hostile and demanding
environments.Taking classes early in my career in-
creased my capacity for learning and en hanced my appreciation
for different cultures and religions. While attending history and
world religion courses during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq,
I used my education to engage the local population and build
relationships in our area of operation. I also became more confdent
at public speaking, generating successful efforts to train Iraqi
soldiers and police effectively through formal per-iods of
instruction.While serving as a reconnaissance ele-
ment leader, graduate-level management courses improved my
ability to motivate and lead my Marines studying Inter-national
busi ness gave me an advanced per spective on global issues and the
macro-environment encompassing Afghanistans complex and volatile
nature. Education gave me the ability to connect with the average
Afghan on a personal level and sometimes obtain highly relevant
infor-mation regarding the enemy during tac-tical questioning and
interviews.Further, my ability in writing reports and
constructing PowerPoint presentations, honed in higher-education
courses, proved vital to our teams success in forwarding
information requirements and completing the mission.All things
considered, the Marine Corps
investment in my education was returned
in the form of improved processes, unit development and
operational success. Obtaining a higher education is a personal
achievement that not only yields an im-proved individual, but
advances the Ma-rine Corps through the development of better
Marines.
Funding and Benefts
After Marines realize that they do have the potential to achieve
a higher education, some may conclude that the fnancial
ob-ligations tied to college are too strenuous. Indeed, expensive
price tags usually do come attached to distance-learning pro-grams,
especially at the graduate level. Fortunately, the Marine Corps
offers a list of benefts available to signifcantly lower, and in
some cases completely eli m-inate, the cost of a higher education.
Marine Corps Tuition Assistance is
available for Marines who are eligible for promotion with more
than two years of service. Each Marine is permitted to receive up
to $4,500 per fscal year at a rate of $250 per semester credit hour
or $166 per quarter credit hour. Marines interested in using TA
must either possess a GT score of 100 or receive a score of 10.2 or
higher on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Marines also
must complete the Personal Finance Marine Corps Institute course
and College 101, a TA orientation class, either at their base
education offce or online for Marines in remote locations.The main
caveat to TA is its fuctuating
availability. Students inevitably will fnd the process
unpredictable, especially as the Department of Defense budget con
tinues to change.According to Pat Jeff ress, from Camp
Pendletons Joint Educa tion Center, the
Cpl Bobby Jackson, a maintenance supervisor
with 1st Recon Bn, does classwork at the Joint
Education Center, MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif.,
Jan. 14. Jackson is one of many Marines in the
battalion completing college courses while on
active duty.
Marines receiving a higher education display an increased
quality of work, utilize tech nology more effectively
and successfully build and lead teams.
CPL
JAM
ES G
ULL
IVER
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budget for TA has shifted greatly in the past three years,
dropping from approximately $47 million Marine Corps-wide to $14.9
million. In the past, TA claims were processed throughout the fscal
year; however, claims now are proc-essed on a quarterly basis,
making it more competitive to receive funding. Therefore, Marines
interested in using TA must be swift in submitting their
requests.The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) is
also available for active-duty Marines after two years of
service. It will pay full in-state tuition rates for all public
schools and up to the highest amount of in-state tuition rates for
private schools. The cost of course materials and other fees are
also offset under that beneft, and in some cases unused benefts can
be transferred to a Marines spouse or children. Some active-duty
Marines elect to use their GI Bill to pay for a graduate degree,
especially when tuition signifcantly exceeds TA coverage. However,
Marines only have four years to use their GI Bill after they have
elected to activate it.
The Yellow Ribbon Program was de-veloped to aid students using
the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Not all institutions elect to par-ticipate
in the program and the contri-butions that participating
institutions offer vary from school to school. While some
institutions offer to cover certain percen-tages of the expenses
not included by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, others vow to cover 100
percent of out-of-pocket tuition for student veterans. It is
important to ask any pro-spective institution of higher learning if
they participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.Grants, tax credits
and scholarships are
out there, but it is the responsibility of the individual Marine
to identify and apply for them. One popular federal program is the
Pell Grant, which provides up to $5,550 toward an individuals
undergraduate education for low-income students and is not repaid.
Through the Lifetime Learning Credit, a tax incentive, Marines
pursuing an education can claim up to $2,000 when fling their
taxes. Further, Marines can apply for and receive literally
hundreds
of scholarshipsmany offered by various Marine-related
organizations.As the recipient of a $15,505 scholarship
awarded by the Phi Gamma Pi Alumni Association, I once again can
attest that the opportunity for active-duty Marines to earn and
fund their higher education is absolutely possibleregardless of
their grade, billet or military occupational specialty.For more
information on Marine Corps
educational benefts, visit www.mccscp .com/jec.
Authors bio: Sgt Charles N. Swope is a recon Marine with 1st
Recon Bn and will transition into the civilian business sector in
May 2014. He possesses an MBA from Northeastern University and a
B.S. in management from the University of Phoenix. He also served
as an infantry rifeman with 2d Bn, 8th Marines and deployed three
times to Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards include the Combat Action
Ribbon and two Navy Unit Commendation ribbons.
Recon Marines with Co C, 1st Recon Bn, including Sgt Swope on
the far left looking toward the camera, prepare to conduct a raid
on a suspected narcotics
manufacturing facility during combat operations in Malmond,
Afghanistan, 2012. Swope was enrolled in graduate-level courses at
the time.
CO
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