JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Getting schooled
I can't tell you how many Airmen I've seen during the last 10 years for initial interviews as they arrive fresh from basic training and tech school. I have a normal list of items I like to cover with these new folks so I can get to know them and get a feel for what they expect from their new command. During this conversation I eventually get to the question, "why did you decide to enlist in the Air Force?" I haven't been keeping statistics, but my guess is that somewhere around 80 percent say getting an education had at least some effect on their decision to enlist.
Unfortunately, most of those folks never take advantage of their opportunity to go to school.
When I entered the Air Force, attending college meant setting aside time in the evenings to drive to a classroom a couple times a week and sitting through two to three hour lessons. Today, going to school has never been easier. Instead of sitting in a classroom at a scheduled time every week, I sit at home and study whenever I want to. Usually this ends up being early on the weekends when the rest of the house is still sleeping and I can study in relative peace. Occasionally I'll spend a few minutes in the evening going over material as well. The point is, I can study when it's convenient for me. Gone are the old semester dates that kept me locked into a specific schedule the school demanded.
Today, I sign up for a class and start it when I want, not when the school says I have to. I can sign up for tuition assistance online in less than three minutes and enroll in classes online in about five minutes. And, I don't even pay for my textbooks. Many schools now receive federal grants allowing them to offer text books for free. My books are shipped to me free of charge and once I receive them I notify the school to load my course. Once it's loaded I study when I want in the privacy of my own home and the best part is I haven't paid a nickel for any of this.
If you're one of the 80 percent who joined the Air Force to get an education and haven't started yet, what's stopping you? I encourage you to go to the education center and get started. The hardest part is just getting started. Completing your degree will not only help you in your career, it will continue to pay dividends long after your Air Force career ends.
As one Chief told me a long time ago, "getting an education will never hurt you."