MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- In today’s challenging economy, it is vital to have an education to stay competitive in the job market. Camp Pendleton’s Joint Education Center offers just that – free of charge.
“We’re a one-stop shop for educational needs,” said Mary Hoffman, military test custodian and education technician, JEC, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. “Just a few of the things we can offer are processing tuition assistance, educational counseling for anyone affiliated with the base, military and civilian testing, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB testing, ACT/SAT study, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Services or DANTES, in which students can test out of certain classes and are similar to Marine Corps Institution or MCIs. We also offer test proctoring, apprenticeship programs, college 101 briefing for all units, spouse tuition assistance programs and the military academic skills program or MASP.”
If a student’s testing scores aren’t quite up to par, the JEC will tutor that person until they can test into higher-echelon courses through the MASP. Students participating in MASP need permissive TAD orders for a period of 30 days to study full-time during the day.
“We understand not everyone is college-oriented,” Hoffman said. “So we have programs for the not-so-college-oriented also.”
With more than a dozen colleges and universities to choose from, students are faced with class options in everything from Art of the Cinema, which teaches the science of filmmaking, to Weapons of Mass Destruction, part of the Criminal Justice courses. Online classes are also an option for those with transportation or schedule challenges.
“They’ll work with the military,” Hoffman said. “So if you have to go TAD they’re not going to kick you out of the class, they’re going to work with you to stay current. We have folks in Iraq and Afghanistan who are still managing to go to school.”
Capt. Eric Anderson, company commander at Headquarters Company, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego is now a full-time student at Thomas Jefferson School of Law through the education office. He was formerly Staff Sgt. Anderson and began making the most of his education opportunities as an active-duty service member early in his career.
“The first thing I had to do was sit down with a counselor and find out what courses I needed for my specific degree,” Anderson said. “More important than actually taking courses, I would say was the overall goal of getting a degree and working with counselors on the plan to achieve it.”
Education services of this caliber could easily cost well over $18,000 in the civilian sector, which is why it’s important for service members and their families to take advantage of tuition assistance while in the military, as well as after their career has come to an end with the Montgomery G.I. bill or the post 9/11 G.I. bill. Depending on students’ course of study, each bill could be equally beneficial, so counselors at the JEC can assist students in attaining the most favorable course of action.
“By taking advantage of this opportunity, I was able to earn a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice by the time I was a sergeant by taking a combination of online classes, correspondence courses, and weekend classes,” Anderson said. “I believe the opportunity helped me not only with my promotion to Staff Sgt. but also helped me mature as a leader. It also gave me a hunger to achieve greater goals because the experience taught me I could expect more from myself.
The rewards from pursuing higher education exceed self-expectation; educational goals can follow a service member far into his or her future and begin with making a single phone call or taking a single course. The JEC is consistently available to assist those who want to better themselves and is working toward increasing the number of service members utilizing educational benefits.
“We want people to know that they can do it,” Hoffman said. “Education is attainable and we’re going to do anything we can to assist them in that process. Currently, less than three percent of the Marine Corps use their TA.”
“Do It!!!” Anderson said. “There are no excuses; when I joined the Marine Corps over 17 years ago and graduated boot camp as a Pfc., I never thought that although I had childhood dreams of becoming a lawyer, it could actually happen. The key is not to look too far into the future but rather start off with little steps and take one day at a time. In order to get the scores to become an officer, I had to take the ASVAB at least 5 times over a 2-year period. No one said it would be easy, but nothing beats a failure but a try.”
For more information contact the JEC on mainside at 760-725-6660 in building 1331 or their office located at the School of Infantry at 760-725-0606 in building 520512.