THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 19, 1995 TAG: 9507180308
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Debbie Hambright, a health services worker from Pittsburgh, took a college course in Norfolk this summer. But it was unlike any other class the active-duty Army officer had ever taken.
``I'm not a combat arms person, so it was a pretty hard course,'' the major said.
Hambright joined 151 other active-duty and reserve officers from the 2078th Army Reserve Forces, based in Columbus, Ohio, in a graduation ceremony at Norfolk State University on June 30.
Their class is one of five scheduled to attend the two-week intensive ``command and general staff course,'' at NSU this summer.
The students come from all over the nation, and some overseas duty stations. The training, required for promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel, culminates two years of classroom and/or correspondence work each student has completed at Army posts where they live.
During the two-week sessions, students are provided dormitory and athletic accommodations, dining hall meals, classroom space and library privileges for all the participating officers. It's all the result of a three-year contract between the university and the Army.
The $2.5 million contract is the first of its type awarded to a historically black university.
``We're hoping this will pave the way for contracts throughout the commonwealth and the country,'' said Marilyn Morrison, NSU contract manager. ``We've already attracted attention from other branches of the armed forces, to accommodate their training programs.''
Morrison said the money, spread over three years, is ``desperately needed for scholarships, and to compensate for recent budget cuts to program instructors and instructional equipment.'' The contract benefits NSU specifically during summers, she said, when the university operates with only 30 percent of its normal enrollment.
And, bringing the officers to Norfolk ``definitely adds to community revenues because, after a day of very intense classroom training, the students are ready to go down to Waterside or the beach or shopping,'' Morrison said.
NSU was awarded the contract last December, after completing an application that asked not only about the university's classroom and lodging accommodations, but also about the proximity of military installations and the area's entertainment, shopping and religious facilities.
The Army's summer training classes have been held for the past 13 years at Wesley College in Dover, Del.
However, funding became available through a set-aside by Congress to open the contract up to ``historically black colleges and universities, and other minority institutions,'' according to Don Ladson, contract officer's representative for the 1st Army, located at Fort Gillam, Georgia.
Fourteen universities expressed interest, but only three applied for the contract.
Ladson admits there are some glitches to work out in the Army's partnership with NSU.
``But, having the classes in Norfolk is a real plus, because of all the branches of service that are located in the area,'' Ladson said. ``It's given the students an opportunity to interface with the other branches, and they're able to expand their normal classroom environment by going on field trips to military installations.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
L. TODD SPENCER
Graduates of the Army's two-week intensive ``command and general
staff course'' at Norfolk State University this summer are
recognized at a ceremony June 30.
by CNB