Fort Bliss, TX –
This summer the Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) Distance Learning class 50 graduated after completing their two-year course of study. In total, 637 Students from the active-duty Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve. Some of these students earned a bachelor’s degree in leadership and work force development (BA-LWD) through a combination of the course work and additional studies undertaken on their own time. While the BA-LWD degree option has been available to resident student who attend the academy on Fort Bliss for the bast 5 classes, Class 50 is the first Distance Learning class to have the option to opt-in to the program.
SGM Daniel Lemley was one of the DL Class 50 graduates to earn the BA-LWD while taking classes with the academy. Lemley is a member of the Utah Army National Guard where he has served for 25 years.
“I believe that education is important.” Said Lemley when asked why he chose to attend the course and seek the BA-LWD degree. “I wanted to opt-in to the BA-LWD program to demonstrate to my Soldiers that my actions align with my beliefs. Additionally, although I already have a BS in Psychology, the BA-LWD more closely aligns with my work experience. As I look towards transitioning to civilian life in the next few years I think that having the BA-LWD will strengthen my resume as I approach that transition.”
The Sergeants Major Academy, which became accredited in 2017 and began offering a BA-LWD degree option students can pursue. Resident class 69 was the first class to graduate with the degree option available for students, distance learning class 50 is the first remote class to have the ability to opt-in to the plan.
Five students have been awarded the degree at the time of class 50s graduation. The remaining students still have the ability to earn the degree over the next 5 years, as long as they complete the additional course work.
While students attending the resident course only spend 10 months in class, students in the distance learning program spend two years attending classes with the academy. Most still work full-time jobs during the day and many attend drill on weekends, making the process more challenging.
“It was a large time commitment that took buy-in from my family and those close to me,” explained Lemley. “I could not have done it without their support. I had very few free weekends and few free weeknights over the year and a half that I worked towards completing the DL course for SGM-A. However, from my own experience it is manageable if you understand that and are disciplined enough to put the time in.”
Looking back Lemley said the advice he would offer others NCOs looking to attend the academy would be to keep your family and other commitments in mind. “If you are going to do the distance learning course, I strongly recommend talking to your family and coming up with a realistic battle rhythm to ensure that you can spend the time required to not only be successful in the course, but to be able to absorb the information and learn from it.”
Since establishing the BA-LWD program, the Sergeants Major Academy has awarded the degree to over 1000 students.