Teachers become 'students' of Army

By Cannoneer staffAugust 23, 2012

Educators 50R
Visitors with the Great Lakes Army Recruiting Battalion tour watch a military working dog demonstration Aug. 15 at Fort Sill. The demonstration was one of the many stops on post for the group of educators, counselors and business professionals who ca... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT SILL, Okla. -- As an undergraduate adviser at Michigan State University, Cindy Walter counsels students in the Department of Linguistics and Languages about career options.

Many of the students are in ROTC, who are studying Arabic, Chinese or Russian. To learn more about the military and the Army and its opportunities, Walter was one of 14 educators and professionals who toured Fort Sill Aug. 14-16.

The education visit was sponsored by the Great Lakes Army Recruiting Battalion in Lansing,

Mich., to help the educators, counselors and business professionals better inform the populations they work with about the military.

"I had very little knowledge about the military so this tour is giving me a much better understanding of the military, its expectations and the lingo," Walter said.

Such education tours happen about once a year here, said Gregory Brogdon, Fort Sill Garrison Community Relations specialist. Tour stops included visits to the basic combat training side to advanced individual training courses to permanent party Soldiers here, both field and air defense artillery.

"The Number 1 thing I want them to take back is that there are tremendous opportunities and advantages for young people joining the military," Brogdon said.

The visit began with an overview briefing about Fort Sill, its mission and history, Brogdon said. Then Col. Brian Dunn, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill chief of staff, welcomed the educators. Dunn told them that the military is looking for young, smart, motivated, good people.

The visit was not all about the active-duty force, but included the support services available to Soldiers and their families, as well as the fort's museums, recreational offerings and housing, Brogdon said.

Stops included the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, engagement skills trainer, 30th ADA Brigade and eating with Soldiers at the dining facilities and the Patriot Club.

At the Military Working Dog Detachment, Sgt. Donald Hoad, canine sergeant, narrated a demonstrations as handlers had dogs sniff for explosives and drugs, perform security duty and run an obstacle course.

"Most people think we just have attack dogs, but we perform safety missions, too, like explosive detection," Hoad said.

The visitors oo'd, ahh'd and cheered as the dogs were put through their paces.

Kelly Willaford, Davenport University military adviser, said the visit was enlightening.

"I gained a new perspective about Army life, the military life," she said. "I learned how family-oriented they are, and how they take care of their own."