European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1973, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Pitburg air Force program varied by Bill Walker staff writer the Little German town of bit Burg 18 Miles from a City of any size and situated in a farming Belt is an unlikely spot for a varied education program servicing the needs of several thousand americans but that s exactly what is available at Pitburg air Force base. The education opportunities Here Are equivalent to those in a medium sized town in the states said Jim Keith the base education adviser. In fact Keith noted unless the place in the states happened to be a College town you probably have As Many opportunities to study Here As in a Small City  Keith was discussing the education pro Grams available for air Force and army personnel at Pitburg and Span Dahlem 10 Miles away. At Pitburg there Are Over 3,000 air Force servicemen 390 of them officers. There Are additional air Force person Nel stationed in outlying areas and Over 500 army personnel assigned to or in the Vicinity of Pitburg. Students find beginning language courses available vocational options and College and graduate programs. Pitburg has an Active pre discharge Edu cation program prep. One Hundred and fourteen students have earned a High school diploma through prep courses con ducted by big Bend Community College since the course began in August 1972. Nearly 200 Are now enrolled in prep. Undergraduate College courses account for about 450 students at any one time in the year the University of Maryland City colleges of Chicago Harford Community College and the new England aeronautic Al Institute Are represented. Five eight week terms Are held each year in the College classes. On the graduate level Arkansas Ball state Utah and the University of okla homa have course offerings. The vocational education Field is not As varied at Pitburg As the academic. Courses in aviation technology began this past summer. They Are offered by the new England aeronautical Institute. The courses Lead to an associate of arts degree or a certificate in aviation technology. Most servicemen Keith explained want to prepare to take the Federal aviation administration air Frame and Power plan test. Keith says plans Are under Way to beef up the vocational offerings at bit Burg. We Are in the planning stages for programs in electronics data Auto mation and Auto  Keith said they were aiming for a january starting Date for some of the vocational pro Grams. We Are committed to starting other hands on programs in the next six months Keith explained. All courses at Pitburg except prep classes Are open to dependents including special interest classes like typing and stenography. A member of the education office staff m. Sgt. Jack Lipscomb a 17-year air Force Veteran said one of the major tasks in aiding servicemen who visit the office for advice and information is discovering what the Serviceman really wants to do and finding a Way to reach the goal. They have an idea of the end result they want to achieve like College or a Good Job but they Don t exactly know How to go about it Lipscomb noted. We try to get a firm idea of what they re trying to accomplish what they want he explained. Guidance Counselor Susan Ovca said one of her Basic concerns at the Center is to try and keep up with the vocational education  when a Serviceman comes in this office for advice we try to show him what we be got miss Ovca said. We try to show him that he can study while in the air  the education Center has representatives on hand at incoming briefings for newly arrived personnel and a member of the staff visits commanders Calls. Miss Ovca said nearly 10 servicemen come in each Day for counselling. She said younger servicemen often know that they want to do but Aren t sure about what kind of education is required. The older Serviceman one about ready to retire often requires help in piecing to Gether a plan for study or training she noted. The education office also conducts a College level examination program Clep through which a student can earn As much As one full year of College credit. Education office tester Alice Gooseberry said she tests an average of " of fits Scole poster by . Jerry Garret shows programs available at Pitburg. 120 persons per Quarter. Nearly half of the tests during that period were for Clep the College credit tests. Various other opportunities Are available for servicemen who want vocational or academic training. Keith noted briefly that through opera Tion Bootstrap and the airman s Educa Tion and commissioning program enlisted men Are Able to study at a College or University and obtain a commission. The air Force Institute of technology selects applicants with some College credit to attend a College or University of the Institute s Choice. Additionally first term airmen May apply for a froth University scholar ships. Keith cautioned that these programs Are highly competitive and you can t Start from scratch you be got to have some thing going for  the air Force offers through the Exten Sion course Institute eci numerous courses that relate to career Fields in the air Force. All Are correspondence courses and All Are free. And the Serviceman can get College credit for his past military experience and training courses through the evaluation services of the Community College of the air Force. If the Serviceman is looking for course help in any area we can find something either right on base or through a recognized Low Cost correspondence course that will help him Keith concluded. Is Cole air Force sgt. Jerry Wells in 2 years 3 degrees by Bill Walker staff writer sergeant Jerry Wells entered the air Force in 1971 after graduation from High school and discovered that his school work was not at an end. In two years Wells has finished an eight month avionics communications course and through air Force education centers has earned three two year College associate degrees. The Pensacola fla., airman is now working for his four year degree at Pitburg a Germany. He serves with the 36th avionics maintenance in As an aircraft radio repairman. I knew i wanted to take some courses but i was t sure what Wells said. At Tindall fab fla., he began taking Bat teries of tests to determine his abilities and to earn College credits through the College level examination program. At the same time Wells began taking resident courses through the education Center for Gulf coast Community College in Panama City. With credits earned through testing and courses at Gulf coast he applied for a two year associate of lib eral arts degree granted under the new York regents external degree program. The special new York degree was obtained with the help of education Center personnel at Tindall. Wells continued to take courses and earned an associate of science de Gree in electronics technology from Gulf coast. Education Center personnel helped him secure 27 semester hours of College credit for his eight month avionics course at Keesler fab miss. The resident courses and other credits qualified Wells for an associate of Liberal arts degree which he received from Gulf coast this May shortly before he was sent to Pitburg. He is now making plans for the last two years of study leading to a Bachelor of science degree. Wells said the education opportunities available to him within the air Force were responsible for his rapid Progress. I definitely would not have made this kind of Progress if i had stayed in Pensacola he explained. I be found out there s a lot you can do if you take advantage of the help at the education  Friday november 16, 1973 the stars and stripes Page a 5