Marine Corps Base Quantico -- When pursing professional military education, navigating the guidelines of funding, participation hours, and registration requirements can be challenging for many reservist serving in the U.S. military. This challenge is met by balancing the priorities of a civilian job or higher education.
Staff Sgt. William Caban, Marine Corps and Intelligence Activity, Individual Mobilization Augmentee, became the first Select U.S. Marine Corps Reservist to graduate from the Career Course Seminar at the Marine Corps University; and he was recognized as the regional honor graduate. The graduation ceremony was held at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Sept. 18.
For Caban, being elected to attend this 15-week resident course, allowed him to enter the arena with other highly experienced staff sergeants with many different approaches to problem solving. Instruction on professional skills, professional correspondence, and communication helped each Marine develop critical thinking, coaching and leadership.
“Completing the course helped me to become a more effective leader and more effective Marine,” he said. “After interacting with Marines from different occupational specialties, I was able to reflect on how we all approach challenges differently. I developed leadership skills in Marine Corps concepts that I was unaware of beforehand.”
Staff sergeants who successfully complete the resident-course are prepared to assume leadership roles which hold greater responsibility.
“Career Course Seminar is designed to be intellectually driven course. Through face-to-face interaction with professors and cadre, Marines absorb the material quickly in order to be successful,” said guest of honor Sgt. Maj. Charles A. Metzger, Marine Helicopter Squadron One. “The second place for honor grad was less than five hundredths points away; this shows you the quality and caliber of Marines that are coming to this course.”
According to Metzger, As the Marine Corps progresses and promotional capabilities increase, this residence course will be a vital link to bridge staff sergeants, who have promotional edibility, to essential billets.
— Writer: iirby@quanticosentryonline.com