Introduction
The U.S. military found a solution for those who cannot be present in courses due to their duty schedule. Those who are enlisted and deploy 12 months at a time, or undergo field training for a period of time every once in a while, cannot attend traditional college. They do not have a well-known schedule, and anything can come up, therefore, the army developed a program called eArmyU. Therefore, the “ laptop in the army” appeared.
What is eArmyU?
A laptop in the United States is like a plane in an airport. The place will look so empty without it. The proof is that even military troops have them. eArmyU is a program that was created to help soldiers to learn at distance. Certain soldiers, who are eligible, receive a laptop in order to participate in online college courses. This opportunity appeared in 2001, and until this moment more than 54.000 soldiers have participated at courses provided by 29 institutions. The enrollees will use a laptop in their participation to the program, and they must successfully complete twelve semester hours of coursework in three years. Another program of this type is “eCourse enrolment”, where soldiers do not use laptops, but their personal computers. In this course they receive all the benefits the others do a part of tuition: textbooks, e-mail account, Internet Service Provider, 24/7 technology support, digital library and many others. If you want to find more details about this program visit any installation’s Education Centre.
Eligibility Requirements For The eArmyU Program
To apply for the Technology Package, which includes a free laptop in order to be able to participate, you must submit to certain criteria. You must be a regular active-duty enlisted Soldier in ranks E4 through E6. You also need to re-enlist for duty as defined by senior Army leadership. You need to be eligible for favorable personnel action. Also, a high school diploma or a GED certificate is compulsory. Among these, you must have a minimum three year Service Remaining Requirement and the approval from the commander and an ACES counselor. In addition, you also need to meet a home institution’s admission criteria. On the other hand, if you want to apply for the eCourse, you must be a regular active-duty enlisted Soldier or Active-Guard-Reserve enlisted soldier. Other than that, the eligibility requirements are the same as the ones mentioned above.
Distant Learning in the Army
Many think that soldiers do not know anything else than how to obey orders. It is true that the life of a soldier is very different than the one of a civilian. A laptop in his possession contributes to his development, so he can be as educated as anybody. Distant Learning is very useful for those who want to benefit from this opportunity and do not want to isolate themselves from education. In the army it is more difficult to learn at distance due to the background, but it is not impossible. A laptop in the army is not as odd as a machinegun in a school, plus it will even make it look more at ease.
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