FORT BENNING, Ga., (Feb. 3 2016) -- The Maneuver Center of Excellence hosted an education symposium Jan. 29, which brought together members of the Fort Benning command team and representatives from civilian universities in the surrounding area to discuss current programs and explore ways to improve the educational experience for Soldiers.
Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence, opened the symposium by reiterating the importance of the partnerships between the MCoE and civilian universities.
"What does Fort Benning do? It develops leaders," Miller said. "We take civilians and make them Soldiers, then send them out to the operational force.
"(This) collaboration is not just useful, but necessary, to that goal. As we start thinking on a broader scope, beyond just Fort Benning and the individual schools, we start thinking about it from a national level - and education is crucial."
Col. Patrick Donahoe, Fort Benning chief of staff, said the symposium was held to accomplish three goals: To share successful collaboration on current programs, systems and processes, discuss opportunities for future collaborations and agree on actions that will provide continued collaboration between educators and the MCoE.
Currently, Fort Benning has more than 120 programs and courses -ranging from two weeks to six months - where instructors focus solely on delivering training to more 65,000 Soldiers, Donahoe said. These programs are designed to expand the knowledge of the Soldier, and better equip them for their jobs; and, ultimately, life after the Army.
"Just like you, we are in a battle for talent," Donahoe said. "We have to attract the best of the best to come to Fort Benning, and a lot of the programs we offer incentivize that. And when we partner with universities where Soldiers can obtain higher education, that's even more incentive."
Donahoe discussed some of the current educational opportunities hosted by the MCoE, including the Combat Leader Speaker Program, Leader Development Program, Living History Events and Regional Security Discussions.
CLSP, LDP and RSD events are done in a classroom type setting, where the MCoE invites speakers - to include retired and current national security experts, foreign and domestic military leaders, policy makers, writers and academic leaders - to address MCoE students and cadre on a variety of topics within each individual's field of expertise.
Living history events are interactive opportunities that provide Soldiers the chance to celebrate Fort Bennings' rich history and traditions through hands-on experiences, such as touring the tank restoration facility.
On the civilian side, representatives voiced their dedication to Soldiers and their ongoing commitment to ensure they are prepared for their future careers.
"We already have a lot of (Soldiers) who come to us from the U.S. Army, and when it comes to civilian education our job is to round them out and make them more complete with subject matter they may not have," said Joseph Ambrosetti, assistant dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. "Whether you want to stay in (the Army) as a career, or transition to civilian life, education is one thing that you can't take away.
"So with the support of the government and the Army investing in these Soldiers, it's a win-win for everyone - the institute, the Army, and ultimately the United States."
Finally, as Donahoe discussed opportunities for future collaboration, he voiced the desire to open up many of the MCoE sponsored events to students from partner universities who were interested in subjects being discussed, and encouraged the universities to open their guest lectures to Soldiers as well.
"What we want from all this moving forward, is to create a platform where the MCoE and its partners can post flyers or briefs about upcoming educational opportunities, so all students (academic and otherwise) have the opportunity to attend events that will expand their knowledge," Donahoe said.
A Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BenningEducationPartnership, was created to achieve that goal. It will serve as the platform for all parties involved to better promote their events and strengthen communication and relations.
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