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Sponsored by
AMY J. MOORASH
Director of the Education Services Division
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Programs provided by ESD include teaching basic skills such as reading, writing, science, math and computer skills, and helping servicemembers prepare for the Armed Forces Classification Test and other exams. “Our [basic skills program] is an important first step toward normalization for many of our warriors who, following their injuries, may struggle with self-confidence in the area of academics,” Moorash said. “Through one-onone support and group academic development, warriors begin to see others as a support mechanism to achieving their goals.”
The most serious obstacle servicemembers face in their educational pursuits is simply time, she said. “At Walter Reed, soldiers are busy healing, and this is a hugely time-consuming task. Overall, the lack of time is the biggest obstacle facing education pursuits for our servicemembers and their families.”
In addition, cutbacks in funding over the last two years have left fewer counselors available for servicesmembers, Moorash said, and the counselors on staff overall have less of an institutional knowledge base. That means servicemembers may not receive as much guidance and support as they need.
“It only takes one wrong turn for the servicemembers to fall prey to some of the egregious marketing practices out there, and the damage can be huge financially and academically,” Moorash said. “Without more qualified counselors to assist, servicemembers run the risk of investing enormous amounts of time and money in programs that will not give them the academic credentials they seek. An increase in [Army Continuing Education Services] counselors across all our Army installations is critical to the success of our servicemembers’ education pursuits.”
Looking ahead at changes to the continuing education field, Moorash said the most significant development in the field is mobile learning, including assisted technology solutions for the disabled.
“Mobile learning technologies meet the learners where they are and take them to academic achievements on-demand in an untethered environment,” Moorash said. “I’m pleased to see what the services are doing and have done to support our transitioning servicemembers, and I believe our greatest achievements will come in the form of innovative solutions that deliver learning through media such as Second Life and mobile learning technologies on-demand.”
Moorash is a former program manager at the Army Continuing Education Services headquarters, where she managed the eArmyU online learning program and the GoArmyEd portal. Her career with the military and academia began at the University of Maryland University College in Europe, where she served for six years as assistant director and then director of the college’s central Germany, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Honduras and Middle East offices.
“[There] I first interacted with the education services officers who worked for Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force education programs,” she said. “I learned early on the importance of planning and executing on-base college programs, how to ensure college programs were military friendly and how to meet education requirements for program execution on military bases.
Moorash’s next stop will be a supervisory position in education at Fort Lewis, Wash., but she said rebuilding Walter Reed’s ESD has been the highlight of her career to date.
“The amazing strength of the men and women in uniform who put themselves in harm’s way to ensure our freedoms has touched me deeply,” she said. “My thanks also go out to the many civilians and contractors who work daily to help heal what the war has torn apart. I believe that in the middle of all the healing, there is room for education.” ♦
If you are currently serving as a base education adviser and would like to be featured in a future Education Service Today, contact Ted McKenna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .