Photo By Sgt. Kinsey Geer | Educators and school board officials look out of a UH-60 Black Hawk during a Georgia...... read more read more
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The Georgia Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion hosted an Open House event for educators on September 14, 2023, at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia. The event, which brought over 50 educators and school board officials to the headquarters of the Georgia Army National Guard, was meant to communicate the benefits of the Guard in the hopes of spreading awareness about the education and career opportunities within the organization.
The event began with introductions by Lt. Col. Gregory Koester, battalion commander, Georgia Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion, and Maj. Gen. Thomas Carden, the state of Georgia's Adjutant General..
"There has been a growing misunderstanding about who our military is," said Carden. "We have to be intentional to better build rapport with and better educate our communities about who we really are and what we really do as our Nation's defense."
The Army National Guard is a Citizen-Soldier military force enabling its members to receive military benefits such as Tricare, a uniformed services health care program, access to educational programs and scholarships that provide up to 100% of college tuition and career-building opportunities. All of this is possible while pursuing their civilian education and careers.
"We are an 'and' solution, not an 'or' solution," said Carden. "They [National Guardsmen] can serve in the Guard and pursue a civilian education or career. They do not have to choose one or the other."
The educators experienced a series of stations led by subject matter experts that showcased some of the over 100 different job opportunities in the Georgia Army National Guard and allowed the guests to learn and ask questions. They saw numerous facets of the organization usually unavailable to the public, from an airborne jump simulator to a question-and-answer session on cyber protection. Educators also had the opportunity to fly in UH-60 Black Hawks over Atlanta.
"It's a tangible, visible component of our education opportunity matrix for our system," said Nick Chester, a member of the Paulding County Board of Education. "Coming to events such as this helps to reinforce our relationship, and it helps reinforce to anyone who is paying attention that this is a great opportunity for not only our kids but for people all around our state."
Being a force of more than 11,000 Citizen-Soldiers and with over 130 career paths available, the Georgia Army National Guard allows individuals to invest in themselves and their careers while giving back to their community.
"The young men and women that you (the teachers and educators) all are working with have a key opportunity to change the world. We have not delivered that message to the extent of where it's effective," said Carden. "We have to connect to you because you are the influencers."
While focusing on opportunities within the Georgia Army National Guard, the event built rapport within the local community and educated the population on what the Guard could do for them.
"The benefit of a deep lasting relationship between the Army National Guard and our community is that it lifts the social, emotional and educational opportunities for our children," said Chester. "It puts our community and our children in the position to be leaders not only in the state but around the Nation. The Guard provides a backbone of support, discipline, and a myriad of opportunities to our kids that not a lot of other organizations provide."
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2023 14:41 |
| Story ID: | 453544 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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