By Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Voss, Maxwell Air Force
Base DoD News, Defense Media Activity
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala., January 14, 2016 — Now a
Ph.D., Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Jackie-Lynn Brown recalls her mother
pecking away, key by key, on an old, manual typewriter at the dinner table. She
remembers her saying, "We can be 10 years older and have our degree or we
can be 10 years older and not have it."
Brown, the director of education at the Thomas N. Barnes
Center for Enlisted Education here, said it was her mother’s words of wisdom
many years ago and the opportunities afforded by military service that
propelled her to earn her doctorate in organization and management.
"For many semesters, on school nights I would leave
work in time to grab something quick from the vending machines and make it to
class by 5:15 p.m., sometimes staying until 9:30 p.m.," she said.
"Taking classes like this made for long nights, but it was well worth
it."
As an airman, Brown first decided to use her off-duty time
and enroll in college classes offered through the base education office. Over
the years, Brown used that motivation to pursue a master’s degree in Global
Management before moving on to her doctorate.
While it’s a bit unusual to earn a Ph.D. in the enlisted
ranks, Brown is far from alone when it comes to pursuing degrees while juggling
the demands of enlisted life. Anyone who has carried a full-time schedule of
college credits understands what is required to pursue education. It may sound
taxing, but each year the Community College of the Air Force awards more than
22,000 associate degrees to airmen.
Many enlisted service members may be interested in obtaining
their technical degrees for promotion to the senior noncommissioned officer
ranks, but what drives the more than 30,000 enlisted personnel who have
obtained bachelor’s, master’s and even doctorate degrees?
Late Nights Studying
Air Force Master Sgt. Alicia Barley, CCAF regional manager,
said she pursued an advanced degree to show the importance of education to her
children.
When Barley earned her CCAF associate degree, she joined a
group of more than 456,000 other airmen who have received the degree since
1972. She also joined a smaller pool of enlisted airmen who obtained an
advanced degree.
“There were many nights I spent time doing homework while my
children were doing theirs,” explained the CCAF regional manager. “Those days
were rough and long, but I can say I did it and did not give up even though I
had days I wanted to say forget it.”
Although the continual pursuit of off-duty education is
outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure,
obtaining an advanced degree is not required for most enlisted jobs, so why do
enlisted airmen do it?
The ‘Why?’
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Andrew Hollis, CCAF vice
commandant, admits that without his master’s degree, being seriously considered
for his current position would have been difficult. However, he wasn’t going
after a specific position when he started attending classes. “Each academic
advance made me feel like I was changing lanes in downtown Atlanta,” Hollis
said. “I started in the slow lane and kept progressing into faster and faster
lanes as my knowledge and confidence advanced.”
Hollis said that earning the CCAF associate’s degree and
getting an undergraduate or graduate degree can be life-changing for airmen and
their families. For many, the CCAF associate’s degree is a stepping stone on
their educational journey. A recent CCAF graduating class survey revealed that
29 percent of students stated that with their associate’s degree, they became
the first person in their families’ history to graduate.
For airmen who grew up in a difficult environment, like
Master Sgt. Anthokira Dobbs, the educational services flight chief at CCAF,
pursuing an advanced education was a means of providing a better way of life
for her and her family.
“I was determined to not stay there,” Dobbs said, who
completed her master’s by the time she was a technical sergeant. “My parents
taught me growing up that having a solid education was the foundation to
success, and I continued to use those values to motivate me.”
Although there are different reasons enlisted airmen pursue
advanced degrees, there are common themes; from wanting to escape a rough
childhood to setting a positive example for their children and families.
“I personally put myself through the rigors of balancing
work and family to show my son that hard work, determination and some sacrifice
is a way of life. Nothing in life is free and these are some of the things I
have to do to make sure I am able to provide for him,” Air Force Master Sgt.
Kimberly Woods, a CCAF flight chief, said.
“Also, I am trying to lead by example not only at work but
at home as well. Education is an important accomplishment that will help to
sustain our way of life after I am no longer wearing the uniform,” she said.
Woods recalls her mother working several jobs to provide for
her and her brother. She said she saw the fatigue and sometimes sadness in her
mother’s eyes, but she also saw her determination.
“I never saw her give up, and for that I am thankful,
because that molded me into the woman I am today,” Woods said. “My family looks
up to me and is very proud, and I want to make sure my son will look at me just
as proudly as the rest of my family.”
A sense of responsibility to family serves as a motivator
for many, but others believe the pursuit of higher education comes from a
commitment to service before self and excellence.
“For most of us, the time we serve in the Air Force is
during our peak productive years. We are trained to prioritize and to engage
multiple tasks,” said Tech. Sgt. Jody Bowles, CCAF educational services
technician. “I also believe that people will make time for what they want to
make time for. If education is a priority for them, they will find a way to
make it happen.”
Making Advanced Education Accessible
The Barnes Center, CCAF’s parent organization, has worked to
make bachelor’s degrees more accessible to airmen.
Today, programs like the Air University
Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative, or AU-ABC, connects CCAF graduates with
online four-year degree programs at regionally and nationally accredited
postsecondary schools. However, while everyone is for obtaining goals, what
good is an advanced degree for an Air Force enlisted member?
According to Dobbs, airmen who are willing to put themselves
through the rigor are motivated, determined and always looking for challenges.
“These types of people are not just doing something to check
off boxes or fit the status quo,” Dobbs said. “They are people who are
determined to do things to better themselves and those around them, and the Air
Force benefits from having people of that caliber.”
With 23,206 CCAF graduates in 2015 and more than 1,900
AU-ABC enrollments in October alone, the question has to be do the skills
learned in college translate to the military mission?
According to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Derryn Beasley, a 42nd
Security Forces flight chief, the answer to that question is a resounding,
‘Yes.’
“As you progress in the military, your job changes from
being a technician to mentoring others, even junior officers,” Beasley said. “I
believe a college degree, coupled with experience, gives you the credibility
needed to do that.”
Setting an Example
Beasley used tuition assistance to finish his CCAF
associate’s degree in 2009, a bachelor’s degree in 2013 and is three classes
from a master’s. Despite the financial assistance he received, he said there
were a lot of sacrifices, but he believes it is about leading from the front.
“I wanted to pursue education to set the example and be the
whole-person the Air Force needs,” he said.
Beasley’s sentiments are shared by Bowles, who believes
advanced education relates to being a better technician.
“I think pursuing education motivates airmen and gives them
life experiences that directly correlate to a higher performing technician,”
Bowles said. “It also gives them real-life experiences to pass along to their
future subordinates. Being a better technician that can adapt and think
critically about their part of the mission will lead to better processes and
innovation.”
According to Dobbs, the pursuit of education is contagious,
and the Air Force benefits greatly by tracing much of its military innovations
to an educated enlisted force.
“Educated enlisted airmen benefit the Air Force mission by
fostering an environment of excellence and critical thinking,” Dobbs said.
“These airmen will also continue to make the Air Force the best in the world
because they will bring their innovative ideas to the table.”
Air Force Col. Ed Thomas, Barnes Center commander, said that
what is impressive about these airmen is that they pursue these degrees at the
busiest times of their lives.
“This is the time in most airmen’s careers when they are
balancing the mission, young children and spouses at home, community
involvement and education,” said Thomas, who’s been selected for promotion to
brigadier general.
“It’s not news that we have the smartest enlisted force on
the planet, but we also have the best-educated force on the planet,” he said.
“And it doesn’t happen by accident.”
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