Wesley Flannigan, chief of education and training at the Education Services Center (ESC) on Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., says that the office is dedicated to assisting military members, spouses and other DoD-affiliated individuals reach their highest potential in education.

The education center, like many others located on military sites around the world, offers military members help in qualifying for tuition assistance, applying for GI Bill benefits, taking college placement tests, fulfilling Community College of the Air Force requirements, and enrolling in other various college programs, whether online or in the classroom. Once a student is steered in the right direction, the only limits he/she has to worry about are the limits that the school places on its own programs, Flannigan said.

Resource Manager John Hill said that many times the center is the starting point for a student beginning his or her educational degree, so it's their job to point them in the right direction and keep them on the path to a degree. ESC personnel ensure that the earned college credits can be transferred or recognized by another school.

Larry Hawkins, chief of training and military testing, said, "We don't want to have any part of schools that are diploma mills." ESC will protect the student by investigating a school's legitimacy before releasing any federal money. According to Hawkins, a school is checked at seven-year intervals, and accreditation must be renewed at this time. If a school loses its accreditation, "We say sorry, but we can't send you any more business," he said.

"People hear only what they want to hear," said Hill. ESC personnel make an extra effort to warn the military-affiliated student that a school study program that he wishes to take will not be recognized by another educational institution. Hill said that a check of a school's authenticity with an accreditation-granting body, such as the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, is conducted by the education office. Hefting up a large book that list accrediting bodies in the United States, Hill illustrates that if a student decides to enroll in, for example, a particular beauty school, he refers to the book listing of the proposed educational institute, and, if it is recognized as an accredited school, but it offers a non-degree granting program, he cautions the student that other schools/colleges do not have to recognize the credits earned from this facility. The goal is to find a "regionally-accredited school" that the military members, spouses, or DoD-affiliated persons can enroll in, said Hill.

According to Flannigan, "Most military members only drop by (the ESC) for a minute in the middle of running other errands or doing other duty tasks, so we have only that minute to talk to them and engage them in a conversation about their [educational] goals." Initially, "many folks drop by so they can find out what they need to do to fill a square," he said. Achieving a much-needed career criterion is necessary, but the ESC goes one step further. When a hurried Airman drops by, Flannigan said the goal of the staff is to not only help them successfully check a box, but also make sure he/she is aware of the education and training skills that may make them "marketable in society."

Education & Testing Specialist Sharon Murphy said that the Bolling ESC personnel are "here to support and guide someone through all the stages of educational pursuit." The education staff conducts various briefings on base and presents information at commander calls, but, "our most effective advertising tool is word of mouth," said Murphy.

Airmen routinely need to achieve certain levels of education to get promoted, so a friend may tell them how they accomplished things with the help of the education center, said Murphy.

Flannigan added that the ESC staff talks to the military member, or an eligible individual, about existing options, specifically "so we can help you get through the doors of what you need [to do] to be successful in your career."

According to Base Training Manager Hezekiah Collins, young Airmen often come into the ESC office, but do not know exactly what program to pursue. "We sit them down with an education counselor to find out what things they like to do," and sometimes career-placement and personal skill tests, like Myers-Briggs, are used, he said. Collins believes that a person has the best chance to succeed in a program if "they do something that they like. "Your program choice should really interest you," he said.

There are three schools currently located at the Bolling ESC office building - Central Texas College (CTC), University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and Webster University. CTC Site Director Carl Mojta said that the military student seems to prefer the business administration course offerings, but also said that CTC has diverse programs, such as general studies, which are designed to appeal to everyone. CTC has learning sites around the U.S. and throughout many world-wide locations, he said, to accommodate the deployment assignments of military members. Mojta added, "We maintain on-site class facilities because there are some courses, such as math, where the student likes to be there to get the hands-on experience" in an actual classroom setting.

Megan Champ, a UMUC team associate, said that UMUC was on base to cater to the military personnel, but "we're here for anyone who walks through the gate." According to Champ, UMUC was the first to offer overseas courses, and programs that offered degrees in criminal justice and Homeland Security were current favorites among military personnel.

The three on-site colleges conduct classes and seminars in several buildings on Bolling AFB. But, due to a memorandum of understandings between the universities and the base, the schools are prohibited from offering the same, and competing, courses at any site on the base. For example, CTC and Webster University cannot both offer English 101 on base. However, Flannigan said, "Competition in course offerings is allowed among the schools, as long as those same course offerings are [solely] online or at places beyond the base gates."

Flannigan is also responsible for overseeing the education office facilities throughout the National Capital Region, including the Pentagon. Energetic Education and Training Specialists Ted Hart and Brandy Foster work at the Pentagon. Foster said, "Education is the key to opportunities," which is why she is excited to share the educational information with others.

Whether on Bolling AFB or another education center location for military or DoD personnel, students can be assured of receiving a warm greeting, attentive listening of their goals, and clear details of available educational opportunities.

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