PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) commemorated 40 years of service by holding an education celebration at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Dec. 2.
More than 1,000 people attended the event, which provided education information from DANTES, the Navy Advancement Center, Troops for Teachers, the Navy College Program, Navy Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (Navy COOL), and the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP).
DANTES and their partner organizations help service members and veterans pursue their educational goals and earn degrees or certifications.
Capt. John Jones, Naval Education and Training Command, chief of staff, served as the guest speaker for the celebration.
"DANTES' information, resources and programs have played an integral part in the career success of tens of thousands of Sailors including myself," said Jones. "We'd like to express our gratitude for the 40 years DANTES has been serving the educational needs of service members throughout the Department of Defense and wish them even more success in the future."
During the NATTC event, Sailors from the Pensacola military complex had the opportunity to get valuable information on educational programs and query experts on how to incorporate education and certifications into their career goals.
Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Lisa Kennedy, a student at NATTC, was grateful for the opportunity to talk to the experts from DANTES.
"When I joined the Navy, I already had a bachelor's degree in history, but wanted to continue my education and possibly go to law school," said Kennedy. "With all the overwhelming information during recruit training and indoctrination, it was wonderful to be able to obtain all this good information in a more relaxed setting with such knowledgeable people.
"Mr. Stahl, the DANTES deputy director recommended getting guidance from the Navy College Program counselors, taking College Level Exam Program (CLEP) tests and utilizing the Tuition Assistance (TA) Program to help me reach my goal," she added.
Additional helpful information provided by DANTES during the event included academic accreditation, college financial aid (scholarships, grants and loans), how to search for the right college, virtual libraries and free online books, and educational goal planning.
One part of educational goal planning is consolidating and translating military experience into college credits. Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling), Johnny Harris, a NATTC data metrics analyst, received guidance on his educational goal planning from Sandra L. Winborne, manager, Military Evaluations Program for DANTES.
"Dr. Winborne explained to me how the Joint Service Transcript (JST) documents American Council on Education (ACE) recommended college credit for military training and occupational experience, and that academically, the JST is an accepted record validated by ACE," said Harris. "This and other information she provided has helped me focus on my goals of earning a general education degree, participating in the Troops to Teachers certification program, and eventually teaching at a Reserve Officers Training Corps unit," he said.
DANTES is a Department of Defense agency that provides leadership and support through partnerships across the education community and is located on board Saufley Field in Pensacola.
For more information on DANTES, visit the Web page at: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/.
For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.