College graduation under the camo net in Kandahar
The folks at the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), whom TSO and I watched case their colors in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan a few months back, send us the news that they’ve just conducted the first ever graduation ceremony while they’re deployed to Kandahar;
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan. (May 23, 2012) – Sgt. Sharon Samuel, a logistics noncommissioned officer with Company A, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, stood in line sandwiched between two taller male Soldiers with a look of impatience on her face.
After months of studying and taking online classes, Samuel would shortly take part in Kandahar Airfield history. As Samuel looked around, immediately she snapped to attention as Brig. Gen. Kristin K. French, commanding general, 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) walked towards her smiling.
With a simple handshake and whisper of congratulations, Samuel started to walk to her seat with her head held a little higher.
Thirty Soldiers participated in the first-ever Kandahar Airfield college graduation ceremony on May 23 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
“This is awesome because when you look back at the sacrifices you’ve made, a day like this motivates not only you, but your soldiers,” said Samuel.
The soldiers would be the first group ever to partake in the unique graduation ceremony where caps and gowns were blanketed by afghan dirt and sand.
“It feels different graduating like this, but this is a part of history and something like this supports the idea of pursuing my education further,” said Samuel.
As she gave the ceremonial opening remarks, French told the soldiers that learning should be an everyday part of their lives.
“Continuing one’s education can be a challenge, but it is clear none of you have chosen the conventional path to getting more education,” said French. “I encourage you to look at challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities.”
After her speech, the general handed out diplomas to graduates as “Pomp and circumstance” by Sir. Edward Elgar blared in the background.
At the end of the ceremony French stayed to shake hands and pose for photos with troops.
“It just shows how much she cares about the Soldiers and I’m glad she could come here to be with them,” said Paul Karczewski, a Kandahar Airfield education center counselor. “To have not only their commanders here, but to have a general acknowledge their hard work.that’s something very special.”
After shaking the general’s hand again, Samuel said she planned to celebrate the occasion in a low-key manner.
“I’m going to get a large pizza for my night shift staff and we’re going to chill out,” said Samuel. “I may not have my family here, but my Soldiers are also my family too.”
I guess that’s why it’s called “continuing education”. Heartfelt congratulations to the graduates from the staff at TAH. My supervisors did their best to keep me from continuing my education while I was on active duty, I hope you all realize how lucky you are to have leaders like this.
Category: Military issues
When I was on “Active Duty” in the old days, I was able to get some education….but what I didn’t understand, was on our deployments to Bosnia and later Iraq…how people in a place like those had enough free time to take a class.
In both places, I was usually putting in 12-16 hour days.
CI Roller Dude-I taught two classes over two sessions for UMUC at Balad in 2009-10. Depending on what your job is you might have the 2 hours, three nights a week, to take a class and several students are able to take more than one (we had about an even mix of USA and USAF, maybe a few more zoomies). They teach some classes all day on Sundays and all of these are “in seat” courses, if you take classes on line, you can work on them at your desk while you work or in your hooch at night. It would be tough for anyone whose job took them outside the wire regularly, but others could do it.
I am still perplexed and baffled that there are people who accomplish this while deployed. Still there seems to be some disconnect that America and older vets think we all had wifi and burger king on our deployments. Sorry not everyone deploys to disneyland or fobs and further still not everyone on said fobs have free time that isn’t spent on pt, chow, sleep and grooming.
Kudos to these support soldiers for having a job and command that puts them in a spot to better themselves. Also big big goodjob cliche for them actually taking the opportunity and bettering themselves.
There were a couple guys that were doing distance learning while we were deployed. I don’t know how they had the time either, but they did. Some people are just way more dedicated than others.