AUGUSTA, Maine (March 25, 2015) -- After three years of hard work, a Maine National Guard school house was awarded the rating of "Institution of Excellence" by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the U.S. Army Engineer School. This is the highest accreditation level possible.
The 240th Regiment Regional Training Institute, or RTI, is located in Bangor, Maine, in a state-of-the-art facility that was completed in October 2012. The 240 RTI has multiple classrooms, a large auditorium and the ability to house nearly 100 students.
The 240th Regiment teaches the 12W carpentry and masonry course, which is a U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, also known as TRADOC, course, as well as combat medic classes and combat lifesaver courses.
Getting the school accredited has been a lengthy process, as TRADOC wants to make sure that Soldiers are receiving the highest quality of training possible. There is no difference in the quality of instruction for active-duty, or the Reserve components. It is all one standard.
"The key to this success was the commander, Lt. Col. Sean Harmon, he set the bar really high," said Master Sgt. Kenneth Oiler, the 12W course manager for the 240 RTI. "He said, 'We aren't going to settle for an accreditation score of 84. We want a score in the high 90s in order to achieve the Institute of Excellence rating,' and the staff here all went for it."
Oiler said that they put in a lot of long days to ensure they got the accreditation, knowing that it would give them full funding and allow them to get all the required items to run their programs correctly.
The institute as a whole has been awarded the Institute of Excellence, or IOE, therefore allowing the 240th Regiment to conduct more courses like Warrior Leadership Course, the Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Course and several others.
"We want people to see our schoolhouse as the place to go, a five-star institution," Oiler said. "We have a great team here. It's a great place to work and we want everyone who comes here to have the best experience and training possible and recommend it to someone else."
The schoolhouse benefits both TRADOC and the Maine National Guard, but Oiler is quick to point out that the students and faculty buy local, which brings revenue to the Bangor area.
"We use local catering, lumberyards, hardware and any local place we can buy food or shop for supplies. The students go out and bring money to the area," Oiler said. "It's a great thing, for us and a great thing for Bangor; it's a win-win."
Harmon said he was very happy, though not surprised, at the outcome and having been awarded the Institute Of Excellence.
"The Soldiers in the Regiment performed incredibly well," Harmon said. "They put forth an outstanding effort and dedication as instructors and support staff. This was recognized by TRADOC and U.S. Army Engineer School evaluators. The people of Maine should be very proud of their Soldiers, who proved once again that they are among the best in the Army."
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