U.S. soldiers in Iraq can now take on-location college classes

The U.S. Department of Defense is implementing a new program for active troops overseas. Three universities were given contracts to set up face-to-face college courses for soldiers in places like Iraq and potentially throughout the Middle East. Although similar programs exist in other spots where troops are stationed, these three universities will be the first to provide on-location courses to forces in Iraq. Central Texas College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and University of Maryland University College were chosen because of their strong backgrounds in educating the military. \n“Those three colleges, going all the way back to the ’80s, have been really involved with us,” said Major Todd Tinius of the IU Army ROTC. “Any soldier who has been in the military and taken night courses has probably taken at least one from those three universities.”\nOnly a short time ago, soldiers on active duty were limited to online courses. Schools could sign up through a Web portal to participate in an online program with troops, and Rosetta Stone also offered language lessons. But with more and more value placed on education, other opportunities are being offered. The courses in Iraq are scheduled to begin in August. The universities and the military are anticipating mostly undergraduate courses, but some soldiers will pursue a master’s degree.\n“I think the army in the last couple of decades has really stressed education. When I joined, typically you wouldn’t meet someone who just enlisted and who had a four-year degree. That was very, very rare,” Tinius said. “It closes the gap between the educations of soldiers and officers. There used to be a yawning gap. You get enlisted soldiers who are smarter, more driven, more cultured, more educated.”\nThe classes will be given to forces from the U.S. Central Command, who are based throughout Africa and the Middle East. The initial contracts are for only 14 months, but they could be extended to more than three years.