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Navy wing hosts Education Fair

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  • Strategic Communications Wing ONE Public Affairs Office
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  More than 210 military personnel from various branches of service and spouses attended a Navy Education Fair hosted by Strategic Communications Wing ONE April 22.

The event, held in the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training High Bay at SCW-1 headquarters, served as an opportunity for 60 representatives from 51 colleges and universities to provide information and answer questions concerning educational opportunities. Even though the event is billed as the Navy Education Fair, there were several members from other services in attendance.

For Petty Officer 1st Class Misty McLeod, these fairs offer a variety of opportunities each time she attends.

"I have attended prior Education Fairs in the past and have always found them to be beneficial," she said. "This one in particular due to the changes with the GI bills. Because new information is always coming up and sometimes with my work environment, I don't have time to do detailed research. The Internet is a wonderful thing but I'll take an Education Fair any day!"

This was the third education fair at Tinker operated by Chris Kern-Garcia, the director of the Navy College Office. She is extremely proud of its growth.

"The Navy Education Fair continues to grow each year," she said. "It is the TACAMO leadership that recognizes the value of voluntary education and supports the Sailors in their pursuit of education goals that really makes a difference."

According to Ms. Kern-Garcia, many of the institutions provided on-site evaluations as well. In addition to the colleges that attended, other support agencies such as the Veterans Administration and Military Onesource also offered assistance geared towards educational opportunities.

Petty Officer McLeod also said that at this stage of her career, with her family, there were some additional things she wanted to look at this year.

"The education fair was very beneficial for me because being at a crossroads in my life (retirement and new GI bill information concerning the transfer of money to kids), I had a lot of different questions not only for myself but my 16 year old child," Petty Officer McLeod said. "I had questions concerning Troops to Teachers, VA/ GI bill, Mid-Del Tech, and OU medical programs. I got very good information concerning home schooled children from the ONESOURCE representative. I left with more than I ever expected to really get at one setting. I prefer these even to job fairs."