Fort Polk Soldiers selected for Green to Gold program

Photo By Chuck Cannon | Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, commander, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, presents coins to Soldiers selected for the Army’s Green to Gold program March 5.  

FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

03.06.2020

Story by Chuck Cannon 

Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office

FORT POLK, La. — Three Fort Polk Soldiers have been selected to participate in the Army’s prestigious Green to Gold Active Duty Option Program.
Staff Sgt. Manuel Vingua and Staff Sgt. David Mulcahy, Joint Readiness Training Center Operations Group, and Sgt. Russell Howard, 32nd Hospital Center, will attend the college or university that have a Reserve Officer Training Corp of their choice, and upon graduation, be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army.
“These Soldiers will be sought out as mentors for the cadets at their university, as well as leadership positions,” Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, commander, JRTC and Fort Polk, said. “Green to Gold looks for the best talent for the program. Other cadets will seek their guidance because they’ve been a Soldier, they know what it takes to be a successful Soldier. They have unique experiences that cadets do not have.”
For Vingua, an observer/controller/trainer for JRTC Ops Gp, the decision to apply for the program was easy.
“Becoming an Army officer has been my primary goal in life,” Vingua said.
Ten years ago, Vingua was a West Point cadet, but was an academic casualty for failing two courses.
“I enlisted in the Army as an infantryman and continued to work towards my goal to become an officer,” he said. “I set three goals that I needed to accomplish before I continued on my path to become an officer: Obtain an associate’s degree, earn the Combat and Expert Infantry Badges, and achieve the rank of sergeant.”
Vingua, who plans to attend Northwestern State University — Fort Polk, said he earned his associate's degree in Criminal Justice with Empire State College in the summer of 2018.
“I was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge in 2013 and earned the Expert Infantry Badge in 2017,” he said. “I achieved the rank of sergeant in 2015, the rank of staff sergeant in 2017, and am currently selected for fiscal year 2019 sergeant first class.”
With those goals reached, Vingua said he is ready to start his path towards becoming an officer once again.
“I am committed and qualified to reach my full potential, and secure commission in the Regular Army,” he said. “I want to become an Army officer so I can continue to lead Soldiers as an infantry platoon leader, as I have done in the past as a rifleman and weapons squad leader.”
Mulcahy’s story is similar. The infantry Soldier will attend the University of Wisconsin — Stout and looks to branch into aviation.
“I wanted to attend college but I couldn’t afford it,” he said. “I thought I would serve one enlistment, then get out and go to school. I decided to stay in and work toward my degree while on active duty. I’m about 50 hours short of a bachelor’s degree now.”
Howard will attend Texas A&M — Central Texas outside of Fort Hood. He hopes to branch into cyber security.
“I wasn’t really interested in computers or cyber security until I started taking some college classes,” he said. “Now I think it will be a great field to enter.”
The Green to Gold Active Duty Option Program is a two-year program that provides eligible, active duty enlisted Soldiers an opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree or a two-year graduate degree and earn a commission as an Army officer.
Soldiers selected to participate in the program continue to receive their current pay and allowances while in the program (up to a maximum of 24 consecutive months), and, if qualified, can use their Montgomery G.I. Bill, Army College Fund or Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Requirements include:
• U.S. citizen (non-waiverable)
• Age — be less than 30 years of age on the date of the projected graduation and commission (Waivers can be requested)
• Cannot have been convicted of a domestic violence crime
• Have a minimum of two years active duty at the time of application as well as three months of active duty for every month of specialized training (waiver can be requested)
• GT score of 110 or greater
• Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test within the last 6 months with score of 180 or higher, minimum of 60 points in each event
• College grade point average of 2.5
• Letter of acceptance to school of choice offering Army ROTC
• Letter of acceptance from the professor of military science of that Army ROTC Battalion
• Favorable National Agency check (or have initiated the action)
• Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board medical qualification
• Be eligible to reenlist
• Not be a conscientious objector
• No more than three dependents including spouse (waiverable)
Questions should be directed to the Green to Gold program manager at [e-mail]. The deadline for submission of Green to Gold and scholarship applications will be determined upon opening of the application window.

• Date Taken: 03.06.2020
• Date Posted: 03.06.2020 14:11
• Story ID: 364650
• Location: FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US