Air Force Materiel Command’s Post

There are a myriad of education opportunities available before, during, or even after military service. Part two of my three-part series on Kiplinger discusses these education benefits and how to utilize them.

Learn about the U.S. Air Force Academy and Chapel here:

Check out our most recent ECISD CCMR & Post Secondary News for December 2024! https://lnkd.in/gf5gXM2e In this edition we share: 1. How to apply to college 2. Where to find scholarships 3. Where to find resources to explore your college, career, and military interests 4. Upcoming CCMR events for ECISD students and recent alumni 5. How ECISD graduating seniors can attend the first 2 years of college for free!

Short and to the point article from my Classmate Zoe Kreitenberg with my thoughts below. We talk about the benefits of diversity as a justification for affirmative action, but I think it is more important to recognize it as a moral imperative. I’ve believed in social engineering ever since I researched it for an essay piece in high school and I still believe that it is wrong to systematically disadvantage a group and then oppose ways to course correct back to the right path. On the micro level, meritocracy seems fair—but systematic injustice is on the macro level and that is where social engineering prevails. I am glad our Academies will still have the ability to engineer diversity into their classes and play the long game—increasing representation and diversity in senior leadership—but it is a shame our society will return to preventing more equitable outcomes for the much larger civilian population.

"For example, schools have responded to new military goals and missions by opening or expanding colleges that concentrate on cyberspace, the needs of the Space Force, and the pivot to focus on peer competitors." This should also read "close colleges that concentrate on cyberspace" since this is exactly what AU did at Maxwell. Externalizng ALL senior and intermediate PME at civilian universities such as John Hopkins may be a better long term solution. "The Air Force Cyber College is the cyber knowledge, education, and research center for the Air Force and national leaders." from page 64. AU in it's capcity to run AWC closed Air Force CYber College in 2022. Most of the technical expertise departed rather than be relegated to teaching only JPME and Military History.

Tuition-Free Opportunities Military Academies The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, along with other service academies like the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, offer free education to all students in exchange for serving in the U.S. military upon graduation. These institutions cover tuition, room, board, and medical and dental benefits. Work Colleges Berea College in Kentucky is notable for providing free tuition to all students, with the requirement that students work at least 10 hours a week in an on-campus job. Similarly, College of the Ozarks in Missouri requires students to work in exchange for lower costs and caters to students with financial need.  Income-Based Tuition-Free Education Several prestigious universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, offer free tuition for students from families with income below certain thresholds, such as $65,000 for Dartmouth and $150,000 for Stanford. This approach ensures that higher education is accessible to students from lower-income families.  State-Sponsored Programs Some states have initiated programs like the Excelsior Scholarship in New York and the College Promise programs in Tennessee and Kansas, which provide tuition-free education at public colleges and universities for residents meeting certain income criteria. Specific Population Catering Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky offers free tuition to residents of Central Appalachia, while the City College of San Francisco's Free City program provides free enrollment to San Francisco residents.

Will the Supreme Court stop military academies from using affirmative action? After a roaring Blue Angels flyover, the FIRST Black secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin. addressed the class at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., before the ritual toss of midshipman hats into a bright azure sky. The FIRST Black mother-daughter pair of graduates — retired Navy Capt. Timika Lindsay, 54, and newly commissioned Ensign Elise Lindsay, 22 — exulted on the turf of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, reports Nick Anderson for The Washington Post. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions at institutions of higher education could reverberate at military service academies which enroll far more people of color than they did at the turn of the century. Administrators seek future officers who reflect the diversity of the forces they will lead and the country they defend. In an amicus brief, dozens of prominent retired generals and admirals said the Court should uphold race-conscious admission because just as diversity matters on college campuses, it matters within military leadership. Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point who identify with a racial or ethnic minority group ramped up from 20% in 2000 to 36% in 2021. The minority share of midshipmen at the Naval Academy rose from 19 to 37 percent. Find similar trends at the United States Air Force Academy and US Coast Guard Academy. Within the military community, there is debate about how to obtain racial diversity. Veterans for Fairness and Merit said in an amicus brief that race-conscious "preferences are antithetical to the ‘selfless servant,’ colorblind culture necessary for our military to prevail on the battlefield." The Solicitor General told the justices during oral argument that "it is a critical national security imperative to attain diversity within the officer corps. ... [I]t’s not possible to achieve that diversity without race-conscious admissions, including at the nation’s service academies." “What you say about the military is something that we have to take very seriously," Justice Alito said. The Chief Justice asked whether it "make[s] sense for us not to decide the service academy issue in this case?" Will the Court carve out an exception for race-conscious admissions at the academies? Diversity is also crucial for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs. A 2003 amicus brief by retired generals and admirals supported race-conscious admissions for the academies and ROTC programs. The landmark ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 US 306, cited that brief as the Court upheld race-conscious admissions at the University of Michigan Law School. United States Department of Defense data shows racial gaps between enlisted forces and military officers. About 9% of officers identify as Black versus 19% of service members. Those figures underscore the stakes of the impending Supreme Court decision. #military #scotus #ussupremecourt

"For example, schools have responded to new military goals and missions by opening or expanding colleges that concentrate on cyberspace, the needs of the Space Force, and the pivot to focus on peer competitors." This should also read "close colleges that concentrate on cyberspace" since this is exactly what AU did at Maxwell. Externalizng ALL senior and intermediate PME at civilian universities such as John Hopkins may be a better long term solution.

Proud moment alert! APSU's Military and Veteran Affairs Division is in the spotlight, thanks to Higheredmilitary's feature article. Learn how we're enhancing support for our 2,700 military-affiliated students by unifying services under one division. Read the full story https://bit.ly/49Swl2V #MilitaryAffiliatedProfessionalsProgram, #APSUmvaMAPP, #APSUMVA, #APSU, #PuttingYouOnTheMAPP

At Virtual Veterans Communities (VVC), we are proud to highlight our successful partnership with Golden Gate University (GGU), a renowned institution with a long-standing commitment to supporting military students. GGU has been instrumental in redefining the meaning of a military-friendly university, striving to comprehend the distinctive needs of military students, enhancing their services, and increasing the enrollment and satisfaction of their military and veteran students significantly. In 2021, our collaborative efforts came to fruition with the launch of The Helen Diller Center for Veterans of US Military Service at GGU. This center, providing a plethora of resources tailored for military students, is a testament to GGU's dedication to ensuring the best possible experience for their military learners. The results of the first 18 months were nothing short of astounding. GGU saw an increase in its military student population by over 30%, with increased staff engagement and student satisfaction. The return on investment within 18 months reached 117%, a remarkable achievement. However, it's not solely about statistics but about the transformative experiences. Stories from students like Ryan Greene, a veteran at GGU School of Law, and Joe Leroux, an undergraduate student veteran, underscore the value of having a support system that understands the military community's unique needs. GGU's journey has revealed the full value of investing in military students - an investment that reaps its own rewards. It's about creating authentic, high-quality experiences that resonate with the entire student community. Our partnership has underscored the importance of holistic thinking, strategic alliances, and capitalizing on our mutual strengths. As we forge ahead together, we are eager to share more stories of transformation, growth, and success. The achievements to date are a source of pride, but the anticipation of the future is even more thrilling. To all military students, take heart in knowing that universities like GGU are paying attention to your needs and are invested in ensuring your success in higher education. To delve deeper into this inspiring journey of collaborative success and gain a comprehensive understanding of our initiatives, we invite you to read the full case study. Witness first-hand the transformative experiences that define our commitment to veterans in higher education. Dive into the stories that embody the drive and resilience of GGU's military students and learn about the strategies that have helped foster an environment that has them primed for their success. Follow this link to access the full GGU case study: https://lnkd.in/gq6Gn_3b