U.S. Army soldier Education Support We need your voices!

This Petition is to support the higher education for the U.S. Army troops who are seeking higher education however require additional time to achieve their educational goals due to the time limit restriction of supporting the Army's mission. Soldiers lack the time to attend college courses. In Fort hood Texas many courses begin at 4:30 in the afternoon however soldiers are not relieved for the duty day until 5:00 making to difficult to attend college courses. Requests have been submitted to attain permission for such soldiers to be allowed to be dismissed at 4:30 to attend classes however those requests have been denied. This petition is to call upon those who support the pursuit of higher education, who believe that the few soldiers who are striving for the achievement of receiving a higher education be granted the extra 30 minutes to leave and pursue their goals. My Story: I am a active duty solider stationed at Fort Hood in Central Texas. I am pursuing a commissioning program to become a officer in the U.S. Army. I have supported the Army in its efforts and missions in Germany for three years and now in Texas for two. I have requested my command to allow me to leave work at 1630 to purse my educational goals that will in turn support the military once I have become a officer, however, they continue to disapprove my request. Their justification for denying my request is that they need to continue to be able to task me to be a gate guard and pull 24 hour duties. However their is no justification for denying my request being that I am qualified to work morning gate guard shifts I could work in the morning thereafter still attend my classes, in addition to compensate for the time they would give me I volunteered to come to work and hour early and work through lunch which is an hour and half also and work my 24 hours shifts on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays, making it easier for my command since it is so hard to find soldiers to work on these days. My request has been continually denied even though I have served honorable without having disciplinary action. I would also be providing greater compensation for the time they would be giving me to attend college, their after becoming a officer supporting the Army as a officer. The courses beginning on August 25th that I will be taking this fall semester are Chemistry 1414 and Anatomy and Physiology 1. In the recent past taking courses that being at 1630 have been discouraged, being that soldiers are normally released for the duty day at 1700. The courses that I am enrolled into this fall semester are being offered throughout the duty day, however, the only feasible time for active duty soldiers to take such courses are in the afternoon after duty hours, and the last time these courses are being offered is at 1630 which is why this is the only possible way for soldiers to take these courses. These courses are vital to my future career, degree, and advancement in the U.S. Army and the support I will provide to the Army after completing my degree. I have toiled tirelessly in order to take higher level college courses such as Chemistry 1414. Having taken Statistics the prerequisite for College Algebra and then completing College Algebra the prerequisite for this Chemistry course beginning this fall. In addition only through completing these courses this fall will I be able to proceed to the higher level college courses Microbiology and Anatomy and Physiology 2 in the spring semester.

I implored the acknowledgment and consideration of the pursue of education permitting me to attend these evening courses at 1630. As I previously stated allowing soldiers to pursue college courses at 1630 has been previously discouraged and still is unfortunately. A true leader knows that his duty is to serve those who serve under them. Those who toil tirelessly to achieve the Army's mission year after year deserve to be given assistance in their educational goals. Education is one of the main reasons many soldiers enlist in the Army, to have a means of paying for higher education. There are instances after instances were soldiers are denied or discouraged to attend college for various reasons, hindering progression and the impact they could have in the Army and the world. This plea is to request the cease of educational hindrance and rather enforce the supportance of education for those soldiers pursuing higher education. It is of course understood that the support of the mission and the company is vital which is the duty of soldiers. For this reason I have been ensured by my college instructors that they are understanding of occasional tardiness from soldiers. Therefore even if soldiers such as myself pursuing college courses were to be released at 1630 it would be feasible to arrive shortly after the initiation of class. My request was to acutely implore the consideration of the allowance of not only myself but other soldiers striving for success to be allowed to partake in college courses that begin at 1630, which is virtually at the end of the duty day. Result: The above passages were a request to my company commander. Requesting to attend the college courses to advance towards my degree, eventually being allowed to proceed into the Army's AMEED officers commissioning program after completion of those courses. Once admit-ion into the program I would complete my bachelors degree and support the army as a Nurse. My request was denied. Today I escalated my case to a higher level speaking with individuals who manage my unit even they are not willing to support my request. * Those who support our nation in the armed forces need the support of those whom we defend. Us soldiers and our families sacrifice so much in the military. Its now time for us to request words and support from you to help soldiers like me in our pursuit to higher education. Soldiers strive each day to support their units and our country I believe this is a small gesture of appreciation we deserve. Please support this cause

To even greater support my cause and other soldiers in the pursuit of higher education please provide your own views and supportive words that will be submitted to the army's command making a difference, that difference that may be what will make a change. Supporting those who support and defend. "Knowledge in Power"! Dont let the support end with you tell your friends and family members to also send their suportive emails to the address below its time to make a differance & you are that differance. Thank You

PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE RESPONSES TO : soilders_have_a_voice@yahoo.com

Thank you for being the voice we need!!!