CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – If Spc. Joshua Armagost wasn’t deployed, he would be a junior now at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. If Armagost wasn’t deployed, he would be learning about the foundations of American politics in a brick and mortar school on the Mississippi River.
But as it is, Armagost, a mail clerk with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, was not going to let a few thousand miles prevent him from furthering his education. Like many Soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Armagost is taking online courses while deployed.
“I was doing a little bit of research when we were still in the states and I decided that I would try to graduate quicker, so I looked around for online classes that follow my major,” said Armagost, a Hammond, Wis. native. “I ended up finding one and I am now done with that and I’m registered and ready for another one in a few weeks.”
About 20 to 30 new students a day enroll in college courses at the Education Center in COB Basra, said 1st Lt. Lisa Cullen, education officer for COB Basra.
“They don’t want to fall behind,” said Cullen, a Greenwood, Wis. native. “Their peers are back home attending college right now while they’re there serving their country. Is it fair that they should stop school?”
“No,” said Cullen. “And that’s why we’re here.”
The Education Center in COB Basra helps Soldiers through signing up for classes as well as getting the tuition assistance to pay for those classes, Cullen said. “Uncle Sam is going to give you $4,500 to go to school while you’re here,” said Cullen. “That’s free money that doesn’t tap into your GI bill or anything like that. It’s free college money that you can use to go to online school.”
The Education Center also offers a computer lab where the students can do their courses and pursue their degree online. Furthering your education is as easy as logging onto one of the 20 computers. “We have courses that are self-study course, meaning the college will give you the time frame to complete the work and turn it in by,” said Cullen. “They say, here are your assignments, they must be turned in by this date.”
“You find out all your information through emails or a website. You go off of that,” said Armagost. “The teacher posts each topic, what you have to study and read, what your work is and what he expects. After that, you just follow the guidelines, do what you have to do and get ‘er done.” While online classes are convenient, a common gripe against online courses is the lack of interaction between student and teacher. “For some students, it’s better that they attend a physical class,” said Cullen, adding the Education Center offers physical classes including a career management course, an Arabic language course and a test for Soldiers to improve their aptitude in standardized tests.
Each course is college accredited and a good way to get back in the college way of thinking, said Cullen.
Where physical classes offer an educational structure and schedule, online classes place a greater responsibility on the student to find time for studying. Because there is no teacher looking over your shoulder, the only one motivating you is yourself. Soldiers, who often work 12 hours or more a day, have to take the initiative to find time in their busy schedules.
For instance, Armagost, who started his first class right after arriving in Iraq, studied whenever he had downtime. “Throughout the week, if I’m not doing anything, I’ll just crack out the book and start reading,” said Armagost.
“If you’re taking an online course, that’s the nice thing, the flexibility of it,” said Cullen. “You can be online at 3 a.m. and you can do your work at any time. “Most colleges do require that you log on at least once a week and hand in your assignment or make a comment to the teacher, but that’s the beauty of an online class,” said Cullen. “It is flexible enough to accommodate all Soldiers.”
Before Soldiers sign up for a class, Soldiers should take into account due to the institutional transitory nature of the Army, plans may change at any point. For instance, after signing up for an eight week course, Cpl. Brittany Quam was forced to drop the class when she was told she was moving to another base.
“After doing an online course for two weeks, I ended up getting notice that I would be stationed at a base that didn’t have any Internet access whatsoever,” said Quam, a signals intelligence officer with the 34th Inf. Div.
Quam, a Lakeville, Minn. native, notified the school, who allowed her to withdraw from the course when Quam’s officer-in-charge wrote a letter to the school. “It is difficult to fit an online course into our schedule here,” said Quam, “because I usually end up working a 13-hour to 14-hour workday. But it is doable.”
While online courses may not be for everyone, those who take the time to work for their education may find their work rewarded.
“When I get the next course done, I’ll have enough credits to qualify for my major,” said Armagost. “And I’d rather get that done here than when I get back.”
