By Sgt Charles N. Swope

As our nations premier fghting force, we exclusively label ourselves The Few and the Proud.

And, existing within the ranks of our illustrious Corps is another rare breed: those pursuing a higher education. Ac cord ing to Pat Jeffress, educational ser v ices offcer and branch manager at Ma rine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Joint Education Center (JEC), less than 15 percent of Marines were enrolled in accredited degree programs last year, and only 1 percent successfully graduated. Most Marines believe that adding off

duty education to the constant struggle of balancing military duties and personal affairs is too daunting a task to accomplish. However, Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion are challenging that assumption and proving that a higher education is still within reach, despite having a highly concentrated training schedule, multiple combat deployments and arduous family obligations.

Can I Earn a Degree While Serving?

As a recon Marine with 1st Reconnaissance Bn, I can testify from frsthand ex perience that earning a collegeand even graduatedegree is entirely possible while serving in the most challenging of military billets. While a lance corporal in the infantry, I took my frst college class online in Iraq by using an Ethernet cable running from a local Internet caf down the street. Thirteen months later, I earned an Associate of Arts in general studies from the University of Phoenix.After graduating from the Basic Recon

naissance Course, I continued to pursue my education. In 2010, I deployed to Afghanistan where my team and I conducted deep reconnaissance, covert ambushes, battleshaping, clandestine surveillance

and heliborne interdiction operations behind enemy lines. In spite of the intensity of the deployment, I still managed to attend online classes between missions. After my return to garrison life at Camp Pendleton, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in management. I recognized that the opportunity to

continue my education existed, so I enrolled in an online Master of Business Administration program at Northeastern University in 2011.Three months later, however, I deployed

to Afghanistan again where my team and I participated in mis sions similar to those in 2010. Determined to facilitate my academic goals, I attended multiple graduatelevel courses between combat operations. The pressure to per form academically,

The Few. The Proud. The Educated.

Sgt Charles N. Swope, a recon Marine with 1st Recon Bn, earned his MBA, completing part of his degree while on his two deployments to Afghanistan. Swope

plans to transition into the civilian workforce in May.

The pressure to per form academically, even mere hours after

engaging in heavy combat with the enemy, was incredibly intense.

Yet, I persisted.

CPL

JAM

ES G

ULL

IVER

54 LEATHERNECK APRIL 2014 www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck

Eduacationpp54-57.indd 54 3/10/14 4:18 PM

even mere hours after engaging in heavy combat with the enemy, was incredibly intense. Yet, I persisted.Finally, in December 2013, nearly six

years after taking my frst online course, I fnished my graduate-level education and will walk at Northeastern Universitys com mencement ceremony in Boston in May. My accomplishment demonstrates that Marines of all grades and billets are capable of pursuing their academic goals. Even with the rigorous demands of being in the military, it can be done.

Achieving Your Educational Goals

The academically successful Marines of 1st Recon Bn agree that a method for tackling educational goals is to determine what you enjoy studying, create a plan of action and see it through until the end. Pursuing your education is like doing anything else in the Marine Corps, said Staff Sergeant John White of Headquarters and Service Company. You start the plan-ning process, obtain the information you need, enroll in a program and make it hap pen. But, you have to want it bad enough to get it done! White, an online student at American

Military University since 2011, will grad-uate in early 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. His decision to attend AMU was based on regional ac-creditation, fexibility of class scheduling, affordability and admission requirements. Since AMU allowed White to apply the 30 Navy SMART credits he earned from attending military schools, he didnt have to take a single elective during his pro-gram. Equally exciting, Marine Corps Tuition Assistance (TA) paid for nearly the entire cost of tuition. Claiming that his biggest accomplish-

ment isnt just earning a four-year degree, White stated, The fact that I will earn this degree while serving in a demanding billet within the most elite battalion in the Marine Corps is something I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Depending on its future availability, White plans to con tinue using TA to fund a graduate program immediately after completing his undergrad degree since he transferred his GI Bill to his wife. She currently is pursuing a masters degree.Several other Marines assigned to 1st

Re con Bn are proving that a demanding military profession and off-duty education can coexist. Sergeant Dan McFarland of Co A is a recon Marine and scout sniper who studied online at the University of Phoenix while deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. On more than one occasion, McFarland engaged in direct combat with enemy

forces only to return to Camp Leatherneck and resume coursework toward a Bachelor of Science in management.Perseverance, McFarland said, ... is

the only word to describe what it takes. Honor graduate of his class at Scout Sniper Basic Course in Camp Pendleton, McFarland referenced a portion of the Recon Creed as his motivation for aca-dem ic success. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; to overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission. Expected to graduate in

2015, McFarland is thankful that TA has covered his entire cost of tuition to date.Career planner and online student at

National University, Sgt Marcos Valentin has received numerous accolades for his military performance, including the 2013 Division Career Planner of the Year Award. Valentin spends about 70 hours per week at his offce working on re-enlistment packages and extensions in support of the Marines at 1st Recon Bn. Its hard work, he said, but the reward is worth it. Similar to everything else in

Above: Sgt Charles N. Swope, 1st Recon Bn, provides security during a training exercise at Marine Corps

Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 9. (Photo by Cpl James Gulliver)

Below: Sgt Swope participates in an online graduate-level course at Northeastern University after

returning from a frefght with enemy forces in Sangin, Afghanistan, 2011. Swope earned an associate

degree, as well as his bachelors and masters degrees during his eight years of service and three

combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Alex Barlow)

55www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck APRIL 2014 LEATHERNECK

Eduacationpp54-57.indd 55 3/10/14 5:04 PM

the Marine Corps, you just have to buckle down and get it done. Working most weekends and holidays, Valentin still manages to write papers and participate in discussions in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in allied health. He expects to graduate in 2014. Corporal Bobby Jackson, a maintenance

management noncommissioned offcer with H&S Co, recently fnished his third course at Central Texas Community College. Im addicted, he said. I already feel that this education is improving every area of my life, and I like it. Jacksons overall experience with CTCC has been very good so far. The class is full of Marines, so we all understand one another. And, the course facilitators are willing to work one-on-one with you in areas you fnd challenging, such as math.After checking into 1st Recon Bn in

2012, Jackson dedicated his time to be-coming a better Marine. Off-duty edu-cation motivates Marines to perform better at their military duties, Jackson said. Since starting school, Ive been recognized for high performance, and I credit this success in part to the education I have received in my off-time. A few months after starting a Bachelor

of Arts in education, Jackson received a Meritorious Mast and a promotion to corporal. I just fnd it hard to believe that other Marines cant fnd time to do it, he said. If Marines in this battalion are somehow managing to earn masters degrees, there is no reason why others arent earning theirs. Cpl Jackson plans to graduate in 2017.

Beneft to the Corps

Commanders should note that Marines receiving a higher education display an increased quality of work, utilize tech-nology more effectively and successfully build and lead teams. Possessing refned communication skills, those Marines are highly profcient at teaching classes to large audiences and presenting briefs to the command element. Those who are suc-cessful in achieving their academic goals exhibit the requisite level of com mitment

and persistence for leading Ma rines in hostile and demanding environments.Taking classes early in my career in-

creased my capacity for learning and en hanced my appreciation for different cultures and religions. While attending history and world religion courses during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, I used my education to engage the local population and build relationships in our area of operation. I also became more confdent at public speaking, generating successful efforts to train Iraqi soldiers and police effectively through formal per-iods of instruction.While serving as a reconnaissance ele-

ment leader, graduate-level management courses improved my ability to motivate and lead my Marines studying Inter-national busi ness gave me an advanced per spective on global issues and the macro-environment encompassing Afghanistans complex and volatile nature. Education gave me the ability to connect with the average Afghan on a personal level and sometimes obtain highly relevant infor-mation regarding the enemy during tac-tical questioning and interviews.Further, my ability in writing reports and

constructing PowerPoint presentations, honed in higher-education courses, proved vital to our teams success in forwarding information requirements and completing the mission.All things considered, the Marine Corps

investment in my education was returned

in the form of improved processes, unit development and operational success. Obtaining a higher education is a personal achievement that not only yields an im-proved individual, but advances the Ma-rine Corps through the development of better Marines.

Funding and Benefts

After Marines realize that they do have the potential to achieve a higher education, some may conclude that the fnancial ob-ligations tied to college are too strenuous. Indeed, expensive price tags usually do come attached to distance-learning pro-grams, especially at the graduate level. Fortunately, the Marine Corps offers a list of benefts available to signifcantly lower, and in some cases completely eli m-inate, the cost of a higher education. Marine Corps Tuition Assistance is

available for Marines who are eligible for promotion with more than two years of service. Each Marine is permitted to receive up to $4,500 per fscal year at a rate of $250 per semester credit hour or $166 per quarter credit hour. Marines interested in using TA must either possess a GT score of 100 or receive a score of 10.2 or higher on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Marines also must complete the Personal Finance Marine Corps Institute course and College 101, a TA orientation class, either at their base education offce or online for Marines in remote locations.The main caveat to TA is its fuctuating

availability. Students inevitably will fnd the process unpredictable, especially as the Department of Defense budget con tinues to change.According to Pat Jeff ress, from Camp

Pendletons Joint Educa tion Center, the

Cpl Bobby Jackson, a maintenance supervisor

with 1st Recon Bn, does classwork at the Joint

Education Center, MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif.,

Jan. 14. Jackson is one of many Marines in the

battalion completing college courses while on

active duty.

Marines receiving a higher education display an increased

quality of work, utilize tech nology more effectively

and successfully build and lead teams.

CPL

JAM

ES G

ULL

IVER

56 LEATHERNECK APRIL 2014 www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck

Eduacationpp54-57.indd 56 3/10/14 4:19 PM

budget for TA has shifted greatly in the past three years, dropping from approximately $47 million Marine Corps-wide to $14.9 million. In the past, TA claims were processed throughout the fscal year; however, claims now are proc-essed on a quarterly basis, making it more competitive to receive funding. Therefore, Marines interested in using TA must be swift in submitting their requests.The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) is

also available for active-duty Marines after two years of service. It will pay full in-state tuition rates for all public schools and up to the highest amount of in-state tuition rates for private schools. The cost of course materials and other fees are also offset under that beneft, and in some cases unused benefts can be transferred to a Marines spouse or children. Some active-duty Marines elect to use their GI Bill to pay for a graduate degree, especially when tuition signifcantly exceeds TA coverage. However, Marines only have four years to use their GI Bill after they have elected to activate it.

The Yellow Ribbon Program was de-veloped to aid students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Not all institutions elect to par-ticipate in the program and the contri-butions that participating institutions offer vary from school to school. While some institutions offer to cover certain percen-tages of the expenses not included by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, others vow to cover 100 percent of out-of-pocket tuition for student veterans. It is important to ask any pro-spective institution of higher learning if they participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.Grants, tax credits and scholarships are

out there, but it is the responsibility of the individual Marine to identify and apply for them. One popular federal program is the Pell Grant, which provides up to $5,550 toward an individuals undergraduate education for low-income students and is not repaid. Through the Lifetime Learning Credit, a tax incentive, Marines pursuing an education can claim up to $2,000 when fling their taxes. Further, Marines can apply for and receive literally hundreds

of scholarshipsmany offered by various Marine-related organizations.As the recipient of a $15,505 scholarship

awarded by the Phi Gamma Pi Alumni Association, I once again can attest that the opportunity for active-duty Marines to earn and fund their higher education is absolutely possibleregardless of their grade, billet or military occupational specialty.For more information on Marine Corps

educational benefts, visit www.mccscp .com/jec.

Authors bio: Sgt Charles N. Swope is a recon Marine with 1st Recon Bn and will transition into the civilian business sector in May 2014. He possesses an MBA from Northeastern University and a B.S. in management from the University of Phoenix. He also served as an infantry rifeman with 2d Bn, 8th Marines and deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon and two Navy Unit Commendation ribbons.

Recon Marines with Co C, 1st Recon Bn, including Sgt Swope on the far left looking toward the camera, prepare to conduct a raid on a suspected narcotics

manufacturing facility during combat operations in Malmond, Afghanistan, 2012. Swope was enrolled in graduate-level courses at the time.

CO

UR

TES

Y O

F AL

EX

BAR

LOW

57www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck APRIL 2014 LEATHERNECK

Eduacationpp54-57.indd 57 3/10/14 4:19 PM

LNECK_54.pdfLNECK_55.pdfLNECK_56.pdfLNECK_57.pdf