Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune -- For a Marine captain an important step in becoming a major is attending the Expeditionary Warfare School. However, this is sometimes hard to achieve especially in a time of increased deployments.
Fortunately, EWS has added a third format to help students achieve this all-important requirement in a very timely manner.
“The program is different because it can be knocked out in less than a year,” said Jim Corvin, customer outreach coordinator with the United States Marine Corps College of Continuing Education. “If they go through the resident school, it takes one year and only 75 to 100 Marines can go through at one time. There is also a distance-education program, which is done through different seminars, but it could take two to three years depending on deployments.”
To alleviate the problems of limited spaces and lengthy class completion times the CCE created a combined seminar.
“The CCE is offering a new and unique seminar built around resident and online learning,” according to a press release from the college. “The Expeditionary Warfare School Distance Education Program Blended Learning Seminar gives (Marines) and international students a wider scope of learning and different points of view to help them understand how foreign militaries think and operate.”
The class is broken down into three sections, the first is the resident seminar. Students attend the approximately three-week seminar at the college. The first portion of the blended seminar is scheduled to take place Oct. 14 until Nov. 8
The second portion is strictly online, which allows students to continue with their regular duties as well as attending the class. The nonresident online seminar is scheduled for Dec. 1 to April 4, 2011.
The final portion brings the students back together at the college, which is scheduled to take place from April 8, 2011 to May 10, 2011. This is also the time when U.S. students may opt to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School graduation ceremony and can have their diplomas presented by the distinguished guests: the director of the EWS and president of the Marine Corps University, according to the press release.
Although the CCE has been offering a blended seminar for the Command and Staff College, this is the first iteration for the EWS.
“Everyone here is really pumped about this,” said Corvin. “Marine Corps officers now have an option to accomplish their mission, to achieve the necessary training to be promoted and become more efficient leaders, in a more expedient manner, while still being able to continue with their mission at their assigned duty.”
For more information on the seminar, active-duty Marines can contact Sean Griffin at 703-432-1314 or e-mail him at sgriffin@cots.com. Reservists can contact Maj. Melvin Ferdinand at 703-784-3015 or e-mail him at melvin.ferdinand@usmc.mil