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December 6, 2004
[Have an opinion about the issues discussed in this article?
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By Leo Shane III and Sandra Jontz,
Stars and Stripes European Edition
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| (Sandra Jontz / Stars and Stripes) Petty
Officer 2nd Class Elias Sanchez, 32, is near earning a Master's
Degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma's
satellite campus in Naples, Italy. He praised Navy leaders'
efforts to make higher education a priority for sailors, saying
the complexity of today's world really requires sailors to get
college-level degrees. |
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WASHINGTON — Enlisted sailors may have to hit the books if they
want to reach the highest ranks.
A new Navy
military education policy, which in part guides professional development
for all sailors, outlines general goals for emphasizing continuing
education courses and college-level degrees for all enlisted personnel.
Ed Barker, spokesman for the Naval Education and Training Command,
said officials hope by 2010 to mandate associate and bachelor’s
degrees for sailors advancing to senior ranks, though no specific
timetables or benchmarks have been set.
“The goal is to tell a young [sailor] now that if he plans to make
senior chief, he should include education,” he said. “There is going
to come a time when, if you don’t have that degree, it could hurt
you.”
In announcing the education proposals last month, Vice Adm. Alfred
G. Harms Jr. said higher education is essential for enlisted servicemen
“to better prepare them to operate tomorrow’s fleet” and to ensure
they are prepared to take over leadership roles in the Navy.
Currently servicemen being promoted to the highest enlisted ranks
must graduate from the Navy’s Senior Enlisted Academy in Rhode Island.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. David Egermier, spokesman for the academy,
said the proposed rule change likely would not affect operations
there, since most of their courses are specialized military management
lessons.
“Their thrust here is not to get college credits, even though some
of our courses count as undergraduate credits,” he said. “But it’s
understood that it helps everyone to have a degree.”
Petty Officer 2nd Class Elias Sanchez, 32, is working on a master’s
degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma’s satellite
campus in Naples, Italy, and called the proposal a “positive challenge”
for all sailors.
“It’s made me a better sailor,” he said. “I feel more confident,
and the more and better the education, the better my world view.
The way the world is, it’s so complicated, we need more formal studies.”
Navy leaders have been supportive in encouraging sailors to pursue
higher education when they’re assigned to shore duty, Sanchez said.
Next, they’ll have to tackle making it easy to earn degrees while
underway on ship.
Officials from the other services said none requires collegiate
degrees for promotion through the enlisted ranks, although all three
do consider higher education as a major factor in military advancement.
Cmdr. Ron Hill, spokesman for the Chief of Naval Personnel, said
about 2.5 percent of the Navy’s enlisted sailors have bachelor’s
degrees or higher. Naval equipment and support services are becoming
more complex, he said, and the sailors will have to keep up with
those demands.
“It’s another way to create healthy competition for promotions,”
Hill said. “It’s about trying to create a slightly more selective
force.”
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