Beale Air Force Base, Calif. –
As I watch my kids grow closer to graduation, I find myself grappling with how to instill in them the reality that a bachelor's degree is not optional. While there are countless professionals with four-year degrees who are currently unemployed in this trying economy, the number is still much smaller than those job seekers with only a high school diploma. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, increased education not only lowers your likelihood of unemployment, it also has a direct correlation to potential income over the life of your career (http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm).
The days are seemingly behind us when simply being in the right place at the right time or having longevity in a position can afford advancement opportunity. Nowadays, employers want their employees to continue advancing in education in order to climb the corporate ladder.
Nowhere is this more relevant than in today's military. To be eligible for promotion, all members of the military have to complete mandatory classes, whether it's Airman's Leadership School (ALS), Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCO academy), or Senior NCO Academy on the enlisted side or Air & Space Basic Course (ASBC), Squadron Officer School (SOS), and Air Command & Staff College (ACSC) on the officer side.
In the very near future, the NCOLDP class will be mandatory for promotion to Technical Sergeant and a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree will be mandatory for pro-motion to Senior Master Sergeant. To be considered a front runner for promotion, an Airman will need to show continued progression in both Professional Military Education (PME), along with a well-rounded civilian education, to really stand apart from the crowd.
Depending on the length of their technical schooling, many Airmen may already have a good number of credits towards their first CCAF degree. There are many ways of completing a degree: CLEP testing, online courses, and, of course, the conventional method of attending classes. A CCAF degree is a stepping stone on a lifelong journey of continuing education. Furthermore, a CCAF degree can provide a strong jumping off point for a Bachelor's Degree program.
Bottom line: as military promotions become more competitive, Airmen need to position themselves to be as marketable as possible. Education is one key way to differentiate oneself from the crowd and signal to leadership readiness and ability to take on additional responsibilities. As Louis Pasteur once said, "Chance favors the prepared mind."