The 21st Century U.S. Army needs soldiers educated for high tech warfighting and other vital missions. These are soldiers, says Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, who are comfortable with "a network-centric battlefield," one "where command, control, communication, intelligence, and situational awareness are accomplished digitally and shared instantaneously across the battlefield."

The Army also needs help recruiting and retaining soldiers who are eager to learn new skills and earn a degree. Until now, however, the Army has had difficulty delivering high levels of quality education to soldiers stationed around the world.

Many soldiers take university-based courses while serving, but the costs tend to be high and scheduling difficult. And soldiers rotate locations-a collection of courses from several different institutions may make for a well trained soldier, but may not add up to a full-fledged degree.

The Army is responding by launching a major initiative to educate soldiers through a program called the Army University Access Online1-a $600 million effort based on laptops and "anywhere, anytime" learning principles.

Secretary Caldera believes this new Army initiative will address three vital issues. It will help recruiting. It will improve learner retention. And it will help produce the educated, Information Age soldiers America needs to succeed in the missions and battlefields of tomorrow.

The Army expects to build the largest online educational portal in the world with the objective of enabling any enlisted Army personnel to earn a postsecondary degree or technical certification. To help in this effort, soldier-students will receive tuition assistance, textbooks, laptops, help-desk support, Internet access, academic counseling, extensive course selection, and a command climate that encourages life-long learning.

The Army anticipates that within the first three months of the program 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers will be enrolled and pursuing degrees or professional credentials. The vision for Army University is that eventually every one of the Army's one million soldiers will be able to take advantage of the program.

The Army's commitment to distance learning is expected to expand the market for online content and courses, creating incentives for development. This should, in turn, create a much richer set of offerings for online learners in the civilian sector as well.

Secretary Caldera says that giving adults a "learn while you serve" option will attract more quality recruits. It is an incentive with high-payback potential. Once soldiers are finished with their service, they will return to civilian life with strong educational credentials and a valuable set of marketable workforce skills.

The program is also expected to improve retention, as more soldiers achieve their personal education goals without leaving the Army.

"It is difficult to articulate the enormous impact that this initiative will have on enlisted soldiers," says Army Sergeant Major Jack L. Tilley. "I can tell you that Army University Access Online is exactly what today's soldiers are looking for-a chance to earn their degrees while they serve. By helping soldiers achieve their personal, professional, and educational goals Army University Access Online reinforces the Army's commitment to investing in its people."

1. See http://eARMYU.com