A Hitch in the Military for the Sake of Education

I spent seven years in the Navy from 1988 – 1992 and then again from 1994-1996. When I first joined the last thing I wanted was to go to war. I never really expected the Gulf War to happen, but if I had it all to do over again I wouldn’t change a thing. Even though I didn’t like being a way from home and in harm’s way, the war was a small sacrifice for me to pay in order to receive a first-class education with the bill going to Uncle Sam.

Are you trying to figure out what to do with the future? In these uncertain times with serious economic problems your parents may not be able to afford to pay your way through college. Many parents are finding that the money they put away for their kids to go to college may have to be used in other ways or it’s not as much as they hoped if it was investing in the stock market and planning to make a profit. In any case, if you are looking for an alternative way to go to college the military is actually an excellent option.

Did you know that all active duty military members receive a free education during their service? Not only that, but some of the services offer distance learning such as D.A.N.T.E.S. offered by the Navy. It’s hard to attend your local community college when you’re sitting off the coast of Afghanistan so these service members are offered this great program where they can learn via long distance tools such as the internet, podcasts, e-mail, CD-Roms and more. The program has allowed many sailors and marines to obtain their degree.

There’s also talk now of a Department of Defense Community College. The D.O.D. spends billions of dollars a year on educational assistance through the G.I. Bill and other programs. It makes perfect sense for them to have their own college. In addition, it promotes higher learning, better retention and more educated military personnel. In essence – a smarter military, and I think it goes without saying that with the world gearing up to create more and more high-tech computers, weaponry and equipment what better way to keep the men and women who serve on top of their game?

So, do you like the idea of joining the military full-time is a bit much and not for you? You may want to consider teh reserves. One weekend a month and two weeks out of the year is all you have to serve annually. Not only that but the reserves now have a program called R.E.A.P. which provides up to 36 months of educational benefits for members of the Selected Reserves, Individual Ready Reserves and the National Guard. For more information on this program visit: http://education.military.com/money-for-school/reserve-education-assistance-program. You may also qualify for G.I. Bill assistance after leaving the reserves too.

The G.I. Bill is what put me through college. You have ten years after separation from the military to use your benefits. When I was in school this program paid for my entire tuition for two years and most of my books and supplies. You apply via the school’s financial aid office which usually has a person assigned to help veterans. You can also call or pay a visit to your local Veteran’s Affair office for help with any veteran’s programs.

There are seaveral other opportunities today for those who join the military. Not only can you benefit from the many different educational opportunities offered, but the on the job training can often times be a great benefit as well. For example, the Navy has training available to learn careers such as X-Ray technician, Dental Technician or Pharmacy Technician. These can all translate to a nice career in the civilian world after you serve. There are also many other career training benefits for some of the fastest growing fields in the job market today; Communications, Computers and Medical.

For more information about military benefits you may want to visit one of these websites:

http://www.military.com/

http://www.va.gov/

http://www.usa.gov/Federal_Employees/Military_Veterans.shtml

http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal