DANTES Information Bulletin - October 2023

DANTES OCTOBER 2023

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Contingency Area Education Support - Navigating Educational Opportunities in Challenging Environments By: Laura Dean, Education Program Manager/DANTES Europe COR

In this issue : Contingency Area Education Support / 2 Counselor Corner / 6 Service Member Corner / 7 Hot News / 8 Contact Info / 9

Contingency Area Education Support

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any voluntary education opportunities are available to service members regardless of where they serve. Military members serving outside of the continental United States (OCONUS) have a variety of options to begin or continue their education. Depending on the location, service members may have access to education counseling services, testing services, and on-site and online courses.

Service members can access educational opportunities in forward-deployed areas within the Central Command (CENTCOM) and Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility (AOR). Some bases have government civilian education services officers or military education and training specialists assigned to the education/learning resource centers who can advise service members in various stages of their education journey. The DANTES website is a good resource to learn which universities and colleges are physically located on military overseas and contingency installations.

Downrange Contingency Areas On behalf of the Services, DANTES provides Contingency Area Education Support through a contract with the University of Maryland Global Cam-

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pus (UMGC). Current service locations are Kuwait (Camps Arifjan, Camp Buehring, and Ali Al Salem); Qatar (Al Udeid Air Base); Bahrain (Manama Naval Support Activity and Isa Air Base); Djibouti (Camp Lemonnier); Jordan (Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and Joint Training Center); Egypt (North and South Camps Sinai), Saudi Arabia (Prince Sultan Air Base) and United Arab Emirates (Al Dhafra Air Base).

Service members will have access to local support, academic guidance and testing services if they deploy to any of these locations. Government education personnel work closely with the contracted university to ensure students can continue pursuing their education goals while deployed.

Recently, the Army opened a new education office in Iraq. After coordinated efforts with HQ Army Central Command, 3rd Army, 109th Regional Support Group, and DANTES Europe office, the Tatanka Education Center on Al Asad Air Base Iraq opened its doors on 15 July 2023. The education center provides improved educational options for deployed service members to work toward a degree in their free time. A secondary USO building was identified and repurposed into the education center. The center has two furnished rooms with Wi-Fi so students can attend online courses. University of Maryland Global Campus will provide virtual academic support services under its contract managed by DANTES.

National Testing Centers (NTCs) UMGC facilitates the availability of academic exams by operating National Test Centers (NTCs). These NTCs offer service members access to the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST internet-based testing (iBT) exams, online credentialing examinations, and other electronic exams. Contracted test examiners also proctor electronic exams for service members enrolled in distance education courses with non-contracted colleges and universities on a space-available basis.

Face-to-Face, Streaming, Hybrid, and Online College Course Instruction UMGC offers opportunities to earn college credit and meet certification requirements through a variety of methodologies. Service members have real-time access to their instructors via face-to-face, streaming, and hybrid courses. Service members may also enroll in online courses. UMGC offers courses leading to a certificate or associate of science degree, lower- and upper-level courses leading to the award of a bachelor’s degree, as well as courses leading to graduate degrees. The degree programs offered in CENTCOM/AFRICOM regions are consistent with the degree programs available at the UMGC home campus. Service member participation in degree programs is funded through military

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Tuition Assistance (TA) based on Service policy, the GI Bill, federal financial aid, the various Services Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) programs, or funded individually by an eligible student. Depending on the time of year and the location, service members often have the opportunity to participate in graduation ceremonies while deployed.

There is a true working partnership between the Education offices and UMGC staff at contingency locations. The university staff often serve as the continuity at the bases, and they become part of the community. In addition to advising students and proctoring exams, they participate in base events (base Fun Runs, MWR events, USO and Red Cross partnerships, sports events, and self-help events).

Students become attached to their advisors during their short tours and express gratitude, for their support.

How to set up service members for success prior to their deployment to Contingency Areas.

Once a service member is notified they will be deployed, they should set up an appointment with their home base counselor. Education counselors can assist service members to create a plan to continue their education goals while deployed. Here are a few helpful hints: 1. Review the education plan/degree plan together. Help the service member to secure an education plan before enrolling in courses while deployed.

2. Assist the service member in setting realistic goals for the time they will be deployed. Deployments are usually six months but can be as short as three months and as long as 18 months. Consider whether there will be enough time to complete a course or two.

3. Research what programs and services are available at the overseas or contingency locations.

DANTES website is a good resource to learn which universities and colleges are physically located overseas and contingency locations. Term schedules for onsite classes may already be available and service members can learn if upcoming course offerings will transfer into their current degree plans.

4. If there is no onsite college or National Test Center where the service member is deploying, there are other options. There are hundreds of online classes to choose from. Service members can also use the time while deployed to prepare for college-level equivalent exam when they return to home station.

5. Encourage service members to download the MilEd Benefits mobile app so they have access to military education resources anytime, anywhere.

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EDUCATION SUPPORT

CONTINGENCY AREA EDUCATION SUPPORT Education Support Down Range for your Educational Goals

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Access to face-to-face academic counseling services Opportunities to earn college credit and meet certification requirements Expanded test center accessibility through remote and mobile testing

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS • • •

Access to undergraduate and graduate academic programs Classes available face-to-face, online, and hybrid Graduation ceremonies in EUCOM, CENTCOM and AFRICOM areas of operation

LEARN MORE WITH ONLINE RESOURCES As a military member serving outside of the continental U.S. (OCONUS), you have access to a variety of options to begin or continue your education online.

Depending on your location, you may have access to these education services: • • •

Online Education Counseling Services Testing Services On-site and Online Courses

PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education (VolEd) Program, through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), provides Contingency Area Education Support for deployed military members and those stationed overseas in the USEUCOM, USCENTCOM and USAFRICOM AORs (areas of responsibility).

Contingency Area Education Support ensures that military members have access to Voluntary Education programs and services to begin or continue your education journey.

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DANTES.mil

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COUNSELOR corner We’re excited to share with you some of DANTES outreach provided throughout September!

VA-ACME Annual Symposium The Virginia Advisory Council on Military Education (VA-ACME) is dedicated to fostering and delivering quality education to all armed services branches.

Mirroring its national counterpart, the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), VA-ACME is a charitable non-profit comprising military and civilian educators, educational institutions, service members, veterans, and related government entities.

For over 17 years, VA-ACME has tackled military education issues in Virginia, striving for more accessible and accommodating educational systems for military populations. Key areas of focus include policy evaluation for credit transfers, promoting educational aspirations, enhancing accessibility in

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terms of cost, location, and scheduling, and bridging communication between VA-ACME members and the U.S. Department of Defense’s academic support network.

The 17th Annual Symposium, held on September 13-14, 2023, in Virginia Beach, served as a collaborative platform for over 200 professionals from higher education, government agencies, and other sectors, echoing this year’s theme: “Leading the Way in a New Era of Military Education”.

DANTES, as a Voluntary Education Partner, participated in both the Networking Expo and the Symposium, represented by Mr. Matthew Schwantz and Mr. Doug Johnson. Their exhibit and presentation aimed at promoting program awareness and accessibility, aligning with VA-ACME’s overarching goals.

Check out the VA ACME website at: https://vaacme.org/

service member corner

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Collateral Duty Education Support Officer (CESO) Training

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n partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), DANTES conducted training for Collateral Duty Education Support Officers (CESOs) across various locations in September. Utilizing a mix of virtual and on-site sessions, training took place on different dates at Base Kodiak, AK; Base Galveston, TX; Patrick SFB, FL; and Base Charleston, SC, each led by a designated Lead ESO. This initiative, coordinated by Ms. Emily Bachman, Stakeholder Engagement, from DANTES upon request from USCG, marked a resumption of unit-level training for CESOs. The training aimed to equip teams with the necessary resources for effectively implementing various educational and career programs. DANTES’s Education Programs Division, overseen by Mr. Tom French and Ms. Gina Perry, introduced a new training curriculum model, “Get Ready, Get Set, Go!” to further aid in educational advancement.

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“DANTES provides so many crucial educational benefits to CG members. Having this training gets that knowledge into the hands of many more; 92 collateral ESO’S will all spread the word to thousands of Coasties!”

-Chief Yeoman Christina Lehman

HOT NEWS

Military OneSource / DANTES Podcasts

GET HELP ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

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ilitary OneSource podcasts offer a straightforward way to engage with your ideal MilLife. They assist you in embracing your best military life, overcoming obstacles, and thriving.

DANTES has collaborated with Military One Source (MOS) on its podcast series. Below, you have the option to tune into our latest podcast, featuring Ms. Laura Dean, the DANTES Program Manager for the Overseas Education Program. Additional MOS podcasts are accessible on their website.

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ervice members can optimize their educational benefits by familiarizing themselves with programs offered by the Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs, Military Services, and DANTES, available at their fingertips anytime and anywhere. The MilEd Benefits app offers an intuitive design optimized for mobile devices, making it easier than ever to discover complimentary education benefits. These benefits can aid in military progression, degree completion, and the transition to civilian roles post-service. Get the app now!

https://www.dantes.mil/ Jeff Allen, Director Michelle Alexander, Editor 9