by Vicki Salemi
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"A mortar attack caused me to lose my Internet connection."
These aren't new spins on old academic excuses, they are actually realities for the men and women in the Armed Forces who are combating time and geographic restrictions by continuing their studies online. Though their first priority is defending our freedom, more and more of those serving overseas are salvaging their educational freedom. Thanks to online programs specifically designed for those in the Armed Forces, many are able to continue their education despite being a world away.
Higher Ed' Amidst Helicopters
University of Phoenix online student, Corporal Russell Schlyer is a U.S. Marine deployed to Camp Anaconda in Iraq. His ultimate goal is law school, but for now he balances online undergraduate study with the intake of wounded marines. After the Columbine High School graduate witnessed the events of the infamous shootings, he decided to join the military. But not before attempting to pursue college.
"I graduated from Columbine in 2000, then went to a community college for a year," he explains. "After a horrible second semester, I decided it was time to follow my dream of going into the military."
After serving in the Marine Corps for more than three years, he revisited his academic dream of earning a degree. This time, he explored online opportunities offered by the University of Phoenix.
He is able to log on and learn when it is convenient for him, a major benefit to the Corporal's busy schedule. "I find it hard sometimes to make simple deadlines due to my workload, but the nice thing about being online is I can do it when I have time," he notes.
Take the time he only had five minutes intervals to log on in between helicopter landings. "And there was a time where I wasn't able to log into the class for over a week because I was in the field," he explains. Though he wishes he could double up on classes, he has accepted that for now, he must take his studies one step at a time.
As he gets ready to leave Balad, Iraq (about 40 miles north of Baghdad) to return to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (San Diego, CA), he has his sights set even higher-to continue his online education and then advance to law school. "I want to make sure I get the best degree I can to help me get into the schools I wish to attend," he explains. His ultimate dream? "To become a Marine Officer in the law field."
From Combat to Coursework
Charlotte McKeel, a former member of the 101st Airborne Division, initially enrolled in online classes as a diversion from combat.
"While I was in Iraq, I saw my associate degree as a distraction from what was going on around me," McKeel explains. Though she spent half her time in Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 101st Airborne Division working with a Blackhawk Unit, she spent the other half in Iraq (near the city of Mosul) as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Though she was plagued with connectivity issues at the time - "mortar attacks from the opposing side, and technical difficulties that come with being out in the middle of nowhere" ¬ - the situation has since improved for military personnel in Iraq pursuing online learning.
"Connections are stronger and more soldiers are able to attend classes if they choose," she says. "It's nice to know that in a situation like that, one is able to accomplish something for themselves, along with helping one's country."
When she returned to the states, McKeel, a resident of Mesa, Arizona, re-enrolled in online classes and is now a few weeks shy from completing the first part of her degree in secondary education. "I wouldn't have been able to get this far if it hadn't been for the military department at the University of Phoenix." She was so appreciative that she applied for a job. "Within three days of getting out of the Army, I had a job as a military enrollment counselor at the same school that helped me get my degree."
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