Courtesy Photo | Sergeant Tiffany C. Falk, 175th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Brigade, 18th Airborne...... read more read more
Sgt. 1st Class Ken Walker
Task Force Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD -- Even though they're deployed to a combat zone, a group of Soldiers at Camp Victory recently found themselves anxiously awaiting test results that could open doors for the remainder of their military careers.
These 28 Soldiers just completed the first of many classes designed to improve their General Technical scores, the Army's standard baseline measurement of academic knowledge.
The Aug. 26 graduation ceremony at the Al Faw palace represented the graduates" first crucial step to fulfilling their goals.
These Soldiers, desiring to either reenlist for a different Military Occupational Specialty, enter Officer or Warrant Officer Candidate Schools, or just to improve their GT score were joined by their unit commanders, first sergeants and platoon leaders in celebrating their academic achievements.
During his opening address to the graduates, Command Sgt Maj. Richard D. Hesse, Multi-National Coalition-Iraq, 166th Area Support Group, said, "In the next four or five years, you could be officers, warrant officers or you could be in another MOS. That is going to help the Army in its strength. It says a lot about you as individuals to take this test and to move forward."
With such a high interest in the classes and a limited number of instructors, enrollment priority is given to Soldiers with GT scores below 110.
A GT score of 110 is the magic number across the board for many MOSes in the Army. If a Soldier scores a 110 or higher, he or she is eligible for the majority of job specialties.
The minimum score for OCS and WOCS is also 110.
Chief Warrant Officer Tammi Morrison, an imagery intelligence officer with the 319th Military Intelligence Battalion, played a major role in getting the classes started at Camp Victory.
After reviewing a similar GT improvement course in Balad and discussing the possibilities with her commander, Lt. Col. Lee Stewart, Morrison sent out an e-mail asking for volunteer instructors.
Sgt. Tiffany C. Falk, 175th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Brigade, 18th Airborne Corps, is a topographical engineer who volunteered her teaching skills to help fellow Soldiers.
Falk, a Miami native, taught English and vocabulary for more than two hours each day.
"It was a challenge trying to discern the different learning modalities of the students because we had 28 students and 28 different levels of education," Falk said. "I made up individualized crossword puzzles, word searches and anything I could think of to help them remember these words. We did charades, we did "Jeopardy," we did all kinds of different activities because different people learn in different ways."
Sgt. Marvin Meertens of Frederick, Md., also from the 319th MI Bn., decided to take the class to in order to reenlist with a different MOS.
"The instructors had an extensive knowledge of the subjects they were teaching and the class moved to the slowest-paced person," Meertens said. "If someone didn't get the problem or question, students would help out other students. The class would move with them so no one was left behind."
Spc. Ellen Mason, of the 3rd Infantry Division, wants to reenlist and change her MOS to become a legal specialist. Achieving a score higher than 110 is one step closer to her ultimate goal of becoming a lawyer. She hopes to enter WOCS in a year or two.
Mason, a transmission systems operator with the 3rd Signal Company, 3rd Detachment, Special Troops Battalion, has always had a strong math background, so she concentrated on her vocabulary skills. For her, performing vocabulary drills and word games using prefixes, suffixes and root words, was the key for her to learn new words.
Pfc. Tiwuanda Thomas, 35th Signal Brigade, from Clarksdale, Miss., hopes to re-enlist and change her specialty to a dental hygienist. Currently, she is a cable system specialist also known as a "cable dog."
Thomas heard about the GT improvement classes through her platoon sergeant. When he asked her if she would rather go on a pass or hit the books, Thomas gave the answer that most platoon sergeants wouldn't expect -- she elected to pursue her career goal.
"I chose to improve my GT score just in case I wanted to reenlist," she explained. "I wanted to pick up another MOS, one in the dental field."
Stewart, the commander of 319th MI Bn., presented the Soldiers with training certificates during the graduation ceremony.
He encouraged the graduates to continue working toward their goals and not to put their lives on hold during their deployment.
"We should move on in our lives," Stewart advised. "Soldiers who are interested in making the Army a part of their life have the opportunity to learn and grow. Through educational opportunities, you can decide what you want to do."
Spc. Tashah Miller, from Bridgeport, Conn., works as an automated logistics specialist with the 35th Signal Brigade. She heard about the GT improvement course by way of a flier posted in the company area.
"I took the class because I am going to the board next month and could use the promotion points," she said. "I plan on becoming a sergeant major, so I know I have to increase my GT score for when the Department of the Army starts looking at my packet. I decided I should start improving myself at an early stage to progress."
The class is no cake walk.
Morrison said leaders need to understand that the classes are very intense and that students are busy with course work and are not getting off easy by being absent from their normal daily duties. They are working hard and their minds are being challenged.
"I want commanders to think before they sign their name to that (class enrollment) memo," Morrison said. "They should ask themselves if they can afford to lose a person for three weeks straight."
Morrison recommends that leaders should basically release their Soldier and tell them their mission is to focus on their studies.
The students weren't the only ones learning something new.
"Aside from teaching the actual vocabulary and strategies, I learned a lot about how students retain information," Falk said. "I learned how they reacted to the positive and the negative and I learned right along with them. You can see it on their faces when they do a good job -- it's awesome!"
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2005 14:56 |
| Story ID: | 2969 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 269 |
| Downloads: | 27 |
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