An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News from around the Fleet

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Visits NPS to Discuss Enlisted Education

18 March 2021

From Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Norket, Naval Postgraduate School Office of University Communications

MONTEREY, Calif. - Seeking ways to provide more educational opportunities for senior enlisted Marines, Sgt. Maj. of the U.S. Marine Corps Troy E. Black explored options and possibilities with faculty and students at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) during a visit to the campus, March 9.

In the Great Power Competition environment, all branches of the Department of Defense are looking for ways to get an edge over our adversaries, and the Marine Corps believes a more educated enlisted force could do just that. 

“Throughout history, the United States military has always rose to the challenges that we have faced,” said Black. “And in today’s world, we have to find a way to make everyone from the freshest private to the oldest general ready for whatever comes next.”

Currently, there are 245 Marines enrolled in 22 different curricula at NPS … Nine of these students are enlisted. 

“We need to invest more in our enlisted community,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Randy Pugh, the Senior Marine Representative at NPS. “We need to take advantage of the courses that NPS offers to enlisted members. The infrastructure is there already, we just need to capitalize on it.”

Black describes a Marine as constantly being in a perpetual state of deployment. They either are preparing to deploy, are currently deployed, or are just back from a deployment. He says the Marine Corps needs opportunities that let enlisted Marines take courses at different times and eventually earn a degree rather than being sent to a university somewhere for multiple years. “Enlisted education is a career-long process,” he said.

NPS follows a more traditional approach to graduate education. Students attend the university for a defined period of time and are sent back to the fleet and force to apply their knowledge. With time restrictions, that is not always possible. NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau is prepared to tackle that challenge. 

“We are not restricted,” said Rondeau. “We have the capacity and would be excited to help the Corps in any way we can. We are in this together, shoulder to shoulder, and we will do whatever we can to maximize the warfighting capability of the Marine Corps.”

Master Sgt. Travis Hollingshead, a student pursuing a degree in Applied Cyberspace Operations, believes that NPS is a great option for enlisted Marines. 

“It has provided me with an opportunity to expand my already existing experience and expertise in the field by giving me new and emerging challenges to tackle with research,” said Hollingshead.

“We need all the Marines to be critical and creative thinkers and problem solvers going forward,” said Pugh. “I think that it begins with education, and education never stops. So, once you've got what you can at the bachelor's level, then you need to go and do graduate education. And when you mix that in with hands-on learning through research, that's really where it starts to gel. Then you get people that can solve just about any problem that gets thrown in front of them, whether they've seen it before or not.”

 

Google Translation Disclaimer

  • Google Translate, a third party service provided by Google, performs all translations directly and dynamically.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil has no control over the features, functions, or performance of the Google Translate service.
  • The automated translations should not be considered exact and should be used only as an approximation of the original English language content.
  • This service is meant solely for the assistance of limited English-speaking users of the website.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information translated.
  • Some items cannot be translated, including but not limited to image buttons, drop down menus, graphics, photos, or portable document formats (pdfs).
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not directly endorse Google Translate or imply that it is the only language translation solution available to users.
  • All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk.
  • IE users: Please note that Google Translate may not render correctly when using Internet Explorer. Users are advised to use MS Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser to take full advantage of the Google Translate feature.
  • The official text of content on this site is the English version found on this website. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in translated text, refer to the English version on this website, it is the official version.

Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea   |   PSC 478 Box 1   |   FPO AP, 96212-0001
Official U.S. Navy Website